Disney+ Greenlights “The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen”
Disney loves to bring iconic franchises back for new generations, with recent revivals of “Camp Rock”, “Descendants” and “High School Musical”, and today, Disney has announced that it has greenlit “The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen” for the Disney Channel and Disney+.
The story picks up when Cheetah Girls Galleria and Chanel, alongside Galleria’s daughter Faith and her three friends, travel to Africa to volunteer at a wildlife sanctuary. Along the way, these four teen girls test their friendship, find their voice, and discover the true Cheetah spirit as they save the preserve and ultimately take the stage as the new Cheetah Girls.
The new movie will be executive produced by Debra Martin Chase and Raven-Symoné, who returns to her role as Galleria, alongside Adrienne Bailon returning as Chanel. Lynn Whitfield and Lori Alter are set to reprise their roles as Dorothea and Juanita, while Sabrina Bryan will make a special appearance as Dorinda, and Sophia Bush is set to appear in a supporting role as Jennifré. The music-driven film goes into production in South Africa this month.
A new cast of talented young actresses stars in the movie, including Leah Sava’ Jeffries (“Percy Jackson and the Olympians”) as Galleria’s daughter Faith, Carmen Sanchez (“Electric Bloom”) as Chanel’s sister Dior, Kaileen Chang as Ruby, and Sophie Lennon as Brooklyn. Newcomer Kamogelo Ramashala, a local South African actor discovered during Disney’s global open casting call, is set as Kendi.
Debra Martin Chase (“The Princess Diaries”), who executive-produced the first three “The Cheetah Girls” films, returns for this latest instalment alongside Raven-Symoné as executive producer. Directed and co-produced by Bille Woodruff (“Bridgerton”) and written by Kara Holden, Sarah Watson and Deborah Swisher, the movie is produced by Disney Kids & Family and features choreography by Kyle Hanagami. Adrienne Bailon is a co-producer. The films are based on “The Cheetah Girls” book series by Deborah Gregory.
Ayo Davis, president, Disney Kids & Family said in a statement regarding the new film:
“The Cheetah Girls has always been about friendship, music, and empowering young people to use their voice. That spirit connected deeply with a generation of fans, and it still resonates today. Bringing this dynamic new group of young stars to the franchise allows us to continue that legacy for a new era of kids and families.”
Disney is bringing back “The Cheetah Girls” franchise, as it’s one of the most popular Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) franchises, and, after twenty years, it continues to resonate in the cultural zeitgeist as a touchstone of early-2000s pop culture.
You can find “The Cheetah Girls,” “The Cheetah Girls 2”, and “The Cheetah Girls: One World” now streaming on Disney+.
Roger’s Take: Disney is really leaning in on the nostalgia with the return of classic DCOM franchises like “The Cheetah Girls”, but more importantly, it looks like the new movie, “The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen”, is also trying to appeal to a new generation with a new younger cast, which hopefully works and this could be the start of a new series of movies.
Are you looking forward to watching “The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen”? Let me know on social media!
