SACHA BARON COHEN BANNED FROM OSCARS: EXCLUSIVE 
Cassian Elwes And Mark Burg Start Evolution Independent To … 
Simon Cowell On Search For New ‘X Factor’ Hosts … 
J.J. Abrams And Paramount Extend First-Look Deal Through … 
‘Spartacus’ Alum Jai Courtney Lands Coveted … 
BREAKING: SAG Anti-Merger Members File Lawsuit Against … 
Disney Taps Edgar Wright To Helm Johnny Depp In ‘The … 
IMAX Names Former Paramount Exec Andrew Cripps President Of … 
Conan O’Brien’s TBS Late-Night Talk Show … 
Paramount President Of Animation David Stainton Resigns 
Oscar Countdown: Sherak On Kodak Theatre’s New Name, … 
Costumers Designers Guild Awards: ‘Dragon … 
Oscars Scoop: George Clooney’s & Melissa … 
CAA Signs ‘The Help’s Tate Taylor 
UPDATED: 2012 Oscar Party Roundup 
NBC Brings Back ‘Community’, Schedules … 
Weinstein To Take On MPAA ‘Bully’ Rating 
TOLDJA! Michael Fassbender Commits To Ridley Scott-Directed … 
Charlie Sheen Resumes ‘Two & Half Men’ … 
Comcast Launches Xfinity Streaming Service For Older 
Sarah Palin Doc ‘The Undefeated’ Finds TV Home … 
Disney said today that it is introducing a new princess fairytale line beginning next year with the launch of Sofia The First, which will premiere as an animated TV movie in fall 2012 and continue as a series set to bow in spring 2013 on Disney Channel and Disney Junior channels worldwide. It will be the first time among Disney’s storybook princesses franchises that the main character is a little girl, who is whisked off to a glamorous but often confusing castle world of royalty, pomp and new step-siblings after her mom marries the king. The idea is to target the preschool demo. 
“In Sofia, we have a ‘peer to peer princess,’ a relatable girl experiencing the same social issues as our young viewers – learning how to fit in, making new friends, conquering new skills and building sibling relationships,” said Nancy Kanter, SVP Original Programming and General Manager of Disney Junior Worldwide. Ariel Winter (ABC’s Modern Family) will provide the voice of Sofia; the voice cast also includes Sara Ramirez (Grey’s Anatomy) as Queen Miranda; Wayne Brady (Whose Line Is It Anyway?) as Clover, a wise-talking rabbit; and Tim Gunn (Project Runway) as Baileywick, the family’s Royal Steward. Existing Disney characters also will be involved: Sleeping Beauty fairies Fauna, Flora and Merryweather will play headmistresses at Sofia’s school, and Cinderella and other princesses will make special appearances. Craig Gerber (Disney’s Pixie Hollow Games) developed the series and wrote the movie; he is co-executive producer and story editor. Jamie Mitchell (Special Agent Oso) is executive producer and director of the series.
Disney Unveils New Princess With ‘Sofia The First’ TV Movie, Series
Marketplace
-
-
-
-
News/Opinion Poll
Loading ...Box Office Poll
Loading ...
- What Is 'Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close'? Oscar Nominees 2012 Guide
- 'Shame' 'Den Of Sin': Fliers Warn Moviegoers About South Carolina Theater Showing Michael Fassbender Indie (VIDEO)
- Oscar Hosts: From Worst To Best, Rating 60 Years Of Academy Awards Emcees (PHOTOS)
- Jean Dujardin's 'Farce Attaque' Video: 'The Artist' Star Features In Comedic Rambo Sketch From 1998 (VIDEO)
- Awards Show Challenge: 'Hugo' or 'The Artist'
- Last Chance! Submit Your Hunger Games Haiku to Win Tickets to the Premiere
- Oscar Amusement Potential Distilled To 25 Words
- Dear God, The Les Grossman Movie Is Real -- and It's 'Heartfelt'
- Excitement Over Accuracy = Key to Oscar-Nommed Sound of Drive
- Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner Beasts of the Southern Wild Will Debut This June
Great. Just what the world needs. More Disney princesses.
Uh, dude, you’re probably not the target demographic.
I’m a parent of two girls. I may not be the target demographic, but I’m definitely collateral damage. Thankfully, both are just over the age for this sort of thing. But I never found the whole Disney princess thing to be the best examples for my kids, which is why I kept it out of the house as much as I could.
I appreciate that a lot of parents find the princess overkill disturbing, but even in the bad old days, when princesses needed to be rescued by Handsome Princes (oh blush, oh sigh), little girls could recognize that the princess was the *star* and driving force of the story. I would’ve been heartbroken if my parents had kept princess paraphernalia out of the house. As horribly over-merchandised as it currently is, playing princess still helps encourage imagination.
On the other hand, I grew up to be a freelance writer, so maybe you’ve got a point. Better they should play professor-with-tenure.
Much happiness and success to them both!
Imagination has never been a problem with either of my children. They don’t need Disney-fied princesses to spur their imagination. Not sure why you’d even think that. I simply don’t like how they reinforce gender stereotypes and project certain female images.
Hey Tim W.,
Do you have a problem with Disney Princesses? If so, You would probably end up getting a problem with the Walt Disney Pictures Logo, or The Symbol of The Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World in Florida, Or The Symbol of Disneyland Park in California being a Princesses’ or a Princes’ Palace(CASTLE).
You need to cut out drinking your royal haterade.
Personally, I`m looking forward to Sofia The First.
The Princesses have almost been nearly THE MOST Neglected Brand of Disney in Disney Broadcasting now, and I`m glad that someone is gonna carry the banner for the princesses now.
Thank you, Sofia !!!
And look forward to next year’s launch of Embriana, the adorable fetus princess who navigates the Royal womb. Industry insiders see it as a peer-to-peer princess for the lucrative not-yet-born market.
Ugh! Another princess show. As the mother of a two year old, it feels like 97% of choices for toddler girls involve Disney princesses or Dora’s midriff.
When my oldest daughter was about 12 she went to see The Beauty and the Beast with some of her friends. When she got in the car after the movie, asked her, “How’d you like it?” She said she didn’t like it that much. “This smart girl falls in love with this great beast, and then, at the end, he turns into this wimp prince.” It’s always good to remember that our girls have a brain..
Finally! A princess my 6 year old can relate to! Falling in love with a prince and getting married is NOT what she dreams of right now. Give yourself a HUGE pat on the back for this one! :>
I understand making content that merchandises well, but this is just sad. This totally lacks any originality or inspiration. And it will be one big commercial for over-priced plastic junk made by underaged girls in asian factories. Like I said… its just sad.
It’s actually a really sweet script and an empowering story. Yes, she is a princess, but the show is really about a young girl finding herself, growing up in an unfamiliar place, and coping with new siblings. Also, there is music.
Why all the princess hate? Did Kate Middleton steal your lunchbox?
What they’d like you to think is they have created a younger princess, one that to younger girls can relate to, in order to appease parents unhappy with the “fall in love and get married” scenero of the the regular princess line. What they are really doing is creating a platform to ensnare younger and younger audiances, as well as those whose parents have kept them on the fringes, in order to compleatly dominate the industry.
actually, what they are really doing is creating a show for young single moms to watch with their children, as the MOMS dream of rescue by a handsome prince…
I’d like to remind the princess-haters about the latest one- Rapunzel. During her time as an unwitting POW, she kept herself constructive, educated, creative, and entertained. After she broke out of her bondage, she proceeded to make friends and allies with gentlemen she COULD’VE made snap judgements about at the Cuddly Duckling (teaching us all to get to know people before writing them off) and saved the handsome-but-SO-not-a-prince leading man a number of times. No shrinking, mewling flower was she- she was armed with a frying pan and knew how to use it in self-defense or to protect those she cared about.
Geez… by the way most of you are acting about the new princess is like you guys are a bunch of little kids. grow up. quit being a bunch of haters. nobody forces you or your kids to watch it.
What’s so bad with disney princesses? Nothing at all.
I like that there are the princesses. But I think they are way over-marketed. However, I don’t blame Disney for that, I blame parents for buying the junk. Disney just fills a need.
Parents need to stand up and take responsibility for their children’s interests.
With Sofia, Disney is again just marketing to what’s popular. But at least this new princess can hopefully teach our young children some positive lessons that apply at their age.
What’s so wrong with a princess who learns that what matters most is how you are on the inside, not the outside? It sounds like this show is going to teach some valuable lessons to little girls, as opposed to teaching them to wait around for Prince Charming. There’s not a lot of good programming for little kids these days, but this sounds like it’s going to hit the mark.
I don’t consider Disney Princesses to be bad role models (as clearly most of you do). The early ones don’t give great messages, but the 90′s and later ‘princesses’ are great role models. Belle teaches that beauty is only skin deep, Mulan that women can be just as strong as men, Pocahontas that racism is wrong and Tiana that hard work pays off. Who cares if they all found love while teaching us those lessons?
Maybe Sofia will teach lessons just as useful and important as the princesses that came before her.
I know Mulan wasn’t a “princess” but can’t we have more stories like hers? The whole princess phase isn’t that big of a deal. Yes I’ve bought way too much Disney princess toys for my 5 year old. Yes everyone can argue the hidden undertones of waiting around for prince charming to save you from a horrible life and take you to your happily ever after. But is it that big of a deal there’s a baby princess or whatever? I remember consuming my life with My Little Pony. And has anyone ever watched it now? Horrible unfinished story lines. I turned out ok. It’s really not the end of the world and I can’t believe I took time to read these comments and comment myself.
i have to agree with the one parent on here my 5 year old daughter is not thinking about marriage and its about time they come out with a toddler princess way to go Disney =)
Well I and a son but he has nothing todo with what I’m right sofia is not the first priness dose no one remeber meldoy ariels little girl that movie was about family and finding hereself not a man!