There’s a reason Queen Latifah keeps coming back to Ice Age. Yes, that’s the film franchise where the woman who gave us “U.N.I.T.Y.” has spent the past two decades voicing a woolly mammoth.
“I love to pass these movies on from generation to generation,” she told EBONY on the carpet during the Disney Entertainment Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, held this past weekend in Anaheim, California.
“Everyone around can watch it at the same time repeatedly, which makes it a good family movie,” she continued.
Another go-around means her nephews may once again call her Auntie Ellie instead of Auntie Dana (her government name is Dana Owens) once Ice Age: Boiling Point drops in theaters on February 5, 2027. But the Queen knows this is a legacy worth building.
“I have a seven-year-old who may do the same,” she joked about her son, Rebel, potentially calling her Ellie, reinforcing that these films have always been about connection. “It just shows that you can be of all different kinds to make up one big family who loves,” she continued. “I think that’s always been an important theme since the beginning.”
Rosario Dawson is returning for the second season of Disney+’s Ahsoka. “I love her wisdom. I love her excellence,” she declared about what brings her back to the role.
For Dawson, returning means spending more time with a character she has grown deeply connected to. “Sometimes you take on a character, and you move on, but this is one that has definitely really deeply impacted me, and I’m just so grateful to the fans that we get to continue exploring her story.”
Fans also got introduced to Broadway star Maya Boyd, who is stepping into the role of Storm for the upcoming X-Men reboot, giving one of Marvel’s most iconic Black women a new face for a new generation.
Earlier in the day, Disney brought together three of its iconic princess stars: Halle Bailey, Brandy and Anika Noni Rose. Seeing them together was more than a Disney nostalgia moment. It put three different generations of girls who saw themselves as princesses on the same stage.
Brandy gave a generation of Black girls Cinderella. Bailey brought a whole new world to The Little Mermaid’s Ariel. And Noni Rose made history as Disney’s first Black animated princess.
Black audiences waited decades to get a Disney princess who looked like us, dreamed beyond the prince and came wrapped in the food, music and culture of New Orleans. Since then, we’ve dreamed of more time inside Tiana’s world: building her business, becoming royalty, navigating marriage and family, all set against that culturally rich backdrop.
We’ve spent the last two decades keeping our princess’ imagery thriving, sharing our love for her online, creating “Tiana Tuesdays,” and campaigning for Disney to give her more visibility.
Disney has already given us a glimpse of her happily ever after through the park attraction, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which showcases Princess Tiana as a successful business owner surrounded by her community. Disney also knows the power of letting audiences grow with the characters they love. Frozen 3 and Coco 2 are on the way. A Princess Tiana special is in development. And that only makes us want to see more.
At D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, we got the Queen. We got warriors and superheroes. We even saw our princess. And after getting that taste of Tiana, we’re ready for even more of her story that we can pass down from generation to generation.