Eight years after going off the air, “Sofia the First” has another chance to discover what being real is all about.
Disney's first preschool princess returns for a new series of adventures in “Sofia the First: Royal Magic,” premiering Monday on Disney Jr. The following day, eight episodes will stream on Disney+.
The sequel series finds Sofia, once again voiced by Ariel Winter, leaving home to attend the Charmswell School for Royal Magic. Rapunzel makes a special appearance in the premiere episode, and Moana, Jasmine, Cinderella, Aurora, and Elena of Avalor will stop by over the course of the first season.
According to Disney, “Sofia the First” still holds the record for the top three cable television broadcasts for girls ages 2 to 5 with more than 3 billion hours watched since its premiere. The trailer for “Sofia the First: Real Magic” was viewed 7.54 million times on social media in the first 24 hours after its release. The show's theme song, which was updated for the new series, remains popular on TikTok among teens who first watched the show as preschoolers.
Craig Gerber, who developed and executive produced the original series and serves as creator and executive producer of “Royal Magic,” says the show's tone is one of the reasons for its enduring popularity. “The charm, humor and storytelling were simple enough to [children] understand, but sophisticated enough to stick with them as they moved out of the key demographic,” he says. “They remember [the show] with a lot of love and becomes a source of comfort for them.”
Rapunzel appears in the premiere episode of “Sofia the First: Royal Magic.”
(disney)
There were originally discussions to have a spin-off series with a completely new set of characters who would go to Royal Prep, the school Sofia graduated from in the first series. But Gerber soon realized that a sequel was the way to go due to his love for the character. “It became clear that the really exciting part of returning to this world would be following Sofia's adventures and bringing her to a new audience,” he says.
Sending Sofia to a new school was the obvious choice. “We thought it would be very exciting and fresh for her to go to a school where she could focus on learning magic and mastering the powers within her,” Gerber says. “In the first series, she learned what being royalty is all about. In this series, she'll learn what being the most magical princess is all about.”
Winter was 12 when she auditioned for the role 15 years ago. At that moment, he said that Sofia's voice was similar to his own: what he thought she would sound like if she were a princess. But even all these years later, it was easy for him to find his voice again because he never stopped doing it.
“If people told me they had a son who loved Sofia, I would say, 'Oh, do you want me to make a voice recording for them?' “I would do at least one of these a week, maybe more,” he says. “The show meant a lot to me and I know it meant a lot to a lot of people. Knowing that I'm going to be able to help influence another generation of kids in a positive way is very exciting.”
In addition to Winter, the entire original cast returns, including Sara Ramirez as Queen Miranda, Sofia's mother, Darcy Rose Byrnes as Amber, Sofia's stepsister, Wayne Brady as her beloved rabbit Clover, Eric Stonestreet as her flying horse Minimus, and Tim Gunn as Castle Butler Baileywick.
But a completely new series and location also means new characters. Here's a look at three of the new characters that will be entering Sofia's world.
Eden Espinosa as Zandrya
Eden Espinosa voices Zandrya, the new villain of “Royal Magic.”
(disney)
Broadway star Eden Espinosa, perhaps best known for playing Elphaba in “Wicked,” will voice new villain Zandrya. “She's loud, bratty, confident and powerful,” Espinosa says.
“We wanted Zandrya to have that feel of its own,” says Gerber. “As if all magic should be given to her and she shouldn't even have to work for it. She's a sorceress who searches for magical items to give her more power. And because Sofia becomes more and more confident in her magical abilities, Zandrya has a hard time getting what she wants.”
A master of disguise, Zandrya takes on a different form each time she appears in an episode, the better to fool Sofia and get the magic amulet. That means Espinosa, who also voiced the Queen of Hearts in Disney's “Alice's Wonderland Bakery” and Cassandra in “Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure,” will be able to take on a new voice with each new episode.
“It's the most fun character to play,” he says. “Voiceover has always been a dream of mine ever since I saw 'The Little Mermaid' when I was, I think, 10 years old.”
Espinosa calls Zandrya “the most fun character to play.” The actress has to adopt a new voice every time her villain takes a different form.
(disney)
As in the original series, music will play an important role in “Sofia the First: Real Magic.” In fact, there will be twice as many songs and each 11-minute episode will have its own number. “What I love about the songs I've had the privilege of singing is that they feel current,” Espinosa says. “They feel like they're on the pulse of what's happening now. They're bops. The challenge is that I have to sing the songs with the voice I have for that episode.”
“We're very fortunate to work with people like Eden, who can take any personality, any voice and still manage to hit all the notes and convey the performance and really deliver a fun, joyous performance,” Gerber says.
And, like Elphaba, Zandrya might be a little misunderstood. “I think as human beings, all kinds of things happen beneath the surface,” Espinosa says. “Although she has a very clear mission and intention, I know that she has moments when interacting with Sofía in which she has reflections that make her think.”
Yvette Nicole Brown as Lady Saddlespur
Yvette Nicole Brown voices Lady Saddlespur, Sofia's new teacher.
(disney)
Yvette Nicole Brown is one of Gerber's favorite artists. She has been the voice of Chief Faye Fireson in “Firebuds” and Luna in “Elena of Avalor.” So it was an easy yes for Brown when Gerber asked her to be the voice of Sofia's new magical creatures teacher and flying derby coach, Lady Saddlespur.
“If I'm going to do a show, I'm going to find room for her,” Gerber says of Brown. “Lady Saddlespur is a fun addition to the kids as she pushes them to be better students.”
“She's a Southern belle,” Brown says of her on-screen alter ego. “She is very correct. She believes that everything in Charmswell should be done that way.”
Brown says her favorite part about animation is that it encourages her to tap into her childlike side. “When we were kids, we lived in this wonderful place,” he says. “I remember the first shows I saw. I remember 'Captain Kangaroo,' 'Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood,' and 'Sesame Street.' Those artists have stayed with me my whole life. The honor of getting to be one of the first voices these babies hear is everything.”
Brown is also delighted with the life lessons the program teaches. “Lessons about responsibility, sharing, kindness, how to regulate emotions and follow directions. The importance of school and learning and being careful and kind to animals and other people and their feelings. I think it's a great stepping stone for babies to learn to be productive, loving members of society, which is what we're all supposed to try to be.”
Nate Torrence as Pepper
Nate Torrence voices Pepper, Sofia's unicorn puppy.
(disney)
Pepper is Sofia's pet unicorn puppy. Nate Torrence, who is also the voice of Clawhauser in the “Zootopia” movies, says nothing sounds more adorable than “a puppy and a unicorn collaboration.”
Gerber has wanted to create a character like this since the original series. “He's there, largely, to provide comic relief,” Gerber says. “And also to give us that little bit of daily magic because Sofía can talk to animals.”
“He's a pretty lovely guy,” Torrence says. “Although he acts a little goofy, he's actually very witty. It's that old-school Abbott and Costello or Charlie Chaplin kind of timing because there's a lot of physical comedy with Pepper.”
Because she will be voicing a character in so many episodes, Torrence says she has felt more growth with Pepper than with many of the other characters she has played. “I think they've allowed my voice to be a new kind of voice in the world,” he says. “I've got a little more attitude and sass. Being part of a franchise like this is a little dream come true for me.”
