Disney Begins Development of African Princess Fairytale Movie ‘Sade’

Disney Begins Development of African Princess Fairytale Movie ‘Sade’

Disney is developing a brand new fairytale film, Sade which will center on an African princess.

According to Variety, the screenplay will focus on a young African girl named Sade whose kingdom becomes threatened by a mysterious evil force. She must accept her newly discovered magical powers to protect her people. She does this with the help of the kingdom’s prince.

Disney is developing live-action fairytale film “Sadé,” centered on an African princess with “Dope” director Rick Famuyiwa attached to produce.

The studio bought a pitch from Ola Shokunbi and Lindsey Reed Palmer, who will co-write the screenplay about a young African girl named Sadé whose kingdom is threatened by a mysterious evil force and accepts her newly discovered magical powers to protect her people, with the help of the kingdom’s prince.

Famuwiya will produce and Scott Falconer will executive produce through their Verse production banner. Tendo Nagenda and Zoe Kent are overseeing the project for the studio. A director has yet to be named.

Disney saw massive success this year with its Marvel tentpole “Black Panther,” set in the fictional African nation of Wakanda with worldwide box office grosses hitting $1.35 billion. It’s the third-highest domestic performer of all time at $700 million.

The studio’s 2009 animated comedy “The Princess and the Frog” starred Anika Noni Rose as a black waitress in 1912 New Orleans who dreams of owning her own restaurant. After kissing a prince who has been turned into a frog by a voodoo sorcerer, Tiana becomes a frog herself and must find a way to turn back into a human. “The Princess and the Frog” grossed $265 million worldwide.

Famuyiwa is represented by WME and Del Shaw. Verse is repped by WME. Shokunbi is repped by WME and Bloom Hergott. The news was first reported by Deadline.

The script for the film will be co-written by Ola Shokunbi and Lindsey Reed Palmer who originally pitched the idea to Disney.

The studio also confirmed the producer and executive producer for Sade will be “Dope” Director, Rick Famuyiwa and Scott Falconer. However, a director is yet to be named.