'The Princess and the Frog' will kiss the box office, December 11-13

(Disney)

Disney's animated family feature, The Princess and the Frog opens in theaters across the US on Friday, December 11, ready to leap to the top of the box office over the weekend and into the pantheon of children's classics, such as The Little Mermaid.

Also offered in 3D, this musical comedy set in New Orleans during the jazz age, is a version of the fairy tale about a human trapped inside a frog and a fateful kiss that changes everything. The movie's female protagonist, Princess Tiana, is Disney's first African-American lead animated character.

The Dixieland styled music is scored by Randy Newman and voices include Oprah Winfrey, Terrence Howard and John Goodman (http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/princessandthefrog/).

Invictus is also expected to make a strong showing. The inspiring story of how the South African President, Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) and the rugby team unified the country, the film (http://invictusmovie.warnerbros.com) has star power with Matt Damon and director Clint Eastwood and a sports theme that should knock The Blind Side off the field.

RC