As Disney continues to explore new stories and properties to add to their ever-growing empire, it's been reported by Deadline that the House of Mouse has acquired a pitch for SADÉ, a live-action fairytale film about an African Princess. The project is based on an original idea by Ola Shokunbi and Lindsey Reed Palmer, with DOPE director Rick Famuyima on board to produce.
The idea, set to be co-written by both Shokunbi and Palmer, centers around a young African girl named Sadé who, when her kingdom is threatened by a mysterious evil force, accepts her newly discovered magical warrior powers to protect herself and her people. With the help of the kingdom’s prince, Sadé embarks on an adventure that will allow her to embrace what makes her special and save the kingdom.
While the bones of the pitch might sound like your standard Disney fare, it's to be noted that SADÉ will stand as the first time that an original Disney princess fairytale will star a female African character. For those of you playing at home, yes, Tiana of 2009's THE PRINCESS AND FROG is indeed a Disney princess, though the fact remains that she is an animated character, not flesh and blood. SADÉ has yet to crown a director, though Disney continues to enthusiastically develop other aspects of the project.
Oh, and just because I can't resist, if you click here, you can listen to a cover of "No Ordinary Love" by the musical artist Sadé, as performed by Deftones.