HomeEntertainmentThe Princesses Who Tried (And Failed) To Steal Disney's Crown

The Princesses Who Tried (And Failed) To Steal Disney’s Crown

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Disney’s Princess brand is one of the company’s most popular and profitable ventures. Millions of people everywhere have seen the iconic versions of classic fairy tales about princesses from faraway kingdoms who participate in magical adventures. Stories like The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White are just a fraction of this iconic lineup.



However, despite Disney being king of the fairy tale princess trope in animation, it hasn’t stopped others from attempting to take a shot at Disney with their own stories. Some are more well-known than others, but during the Disney Renaissance of the 1990s to the early 2000s, there was a significant uptick in competition. Three of those we will look at today.

Odette (The Swan Princess 1994)

The Swan Princess was a 1994 animated film by Nest Entertainment and originally distributed by New Line Cinema. The film was the idea of former Disney animator Richard Rich who wanted to do an animated film based on the ballet Swan Lake.

The film follows Princess Odette (Played by: Michelle Nicastro) as she is cursed by a sorcerer named Rothbart to turn into a swan during the day and can only become human again when the moonlight reflects off of the enchanted lake. All the while Prince Derek is desperately trying to free her from the curse so the two can be reunited and marry. 



The film was released on November 18th, 1994 but was considered a financial failure only making $9.8 Million on a $21 Million Budget. Part of the reason was due to Disney re-releasing The Lion King for the Thanksgiving season.

Despite this, The Swan Princess has gone on to have the direct-to-video sequels with the second and third films being hand drawn and the fourth and beyond being CGI animated. The series has gained a cult following with plans for a potential Live-Action Remake being put into action after the success of Disney’s own Live-Action Remakes.

Anastasia (Anastasia 1997)

Anastasia was a 1997 animated film by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman at the then-recently formed Fox Animation. The former Disney animators turned animation icons wanted to develop an animated musical with My Fair Lady and The King and I being considered until then Fox Entertainment CEO Bill Mechanic suggested remaking the 1956 Anastasia

The film follows Anya (Played by: Meg Ryan), a young Russian orphan who has no memories of her past when she meets a young con man named Demitri, who convinces her that she might be the lost Russian Princess Anastasia.

They decide to try to find their way to Paris to meet Anastasia’s Grandmother who is the only person who can confirm her identity. Meanwhile, the undead sorcerer Rasputin is trying to kill Anya as she is indeed the lost princess, and only her death can break his undead curse.



The film was released on November 21st, 1997, and was considered a modest success earning $140 Million on a $53 Million budget. Since the film’s release, there has been a 1999 direct-to-video spin-off film called Bartok the Magnificent and a stage musical that premiered on Broadway in 2017.

In 2019 Disney bought 20th Century Fox and all of its intellectual properties. Since then many have asked Disney to add Anastasia to their official Disney Princess Lineup, But as of writing no such action has taken place.


Daria (The Princess and the Pea 2002)

The Princess and the Pea was a 2002 direct-to-video animated film by British production company Feature Films for Families. The film is loosely based on the Hans Christian Anderson story of the same name. Despite being a direct-to-video film, the quality is rather on par with many cinematic hand-drawn films of the time.

The film follows Daria (Played by: Amanda Waving) a young girl living on a pig farm but is really a princess. Her uncle Laird grew jealous of his brother after he was crowned, so at birth, he had his daughter Hildegard switched in her place in an elaborate plan to take the crown.

Eighteen years later young Prince Rollo is looking for a bride. When he is frightened away by Hildegard’s advances, he met Daria, and the two fall in love. Meanwhile, the king’s faithful servant Sebastian, a talking crow, is trying to find out the secret of an ancient prophecy that revolves around a “lost princess” and “the secret of the pea”.



Not much is known about the film’s success on home video outside of its small cult following in animation circles. The film would later have a series of direct-to-video shorts called Pig Tails following the adventures of Daria’s animal friends on their farm and in the palace.



Despite the best efforts from various other studios, the current holder of the crown when it comes to films about fairy tale princesses is Disney. But it is still interesting that at one point in time, the crown seemed up for grabs, and many laid claim to sit upon the throne.

What do you think? What were some of your favorite non-Disney Princess films? Should these three princesses be as regarded as their more well-known counterparts?


Pirates & Princesses (PNP) is an independent, opinionated fan-powered news blog that covers Disney and Universal Theme Parks, Themed Entertainment and related Pop Culture from a consumer's point of view. Opinions expressed by our contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of PNP, its editors, affiliates, sponsors or advertisers. PNP is an unofficial news source and has no connection to The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal or any other company that we may cover.



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