News Digest

Disney do their Latin homework and unveil Princess Elena of Avalor

Disney Junior has a new princess. Elena of Avalor will be introduced next year as Disney’s first Latina princess, Nancy Kanter, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Disney Junior Worldwide announced this morning. Elena is described in a news release as “a confident and compassionate teenager in an enchanted fairytale kingdom inspired by diverse Latin cultures and folklore.”

What excites us most is the chance to use distinctive animation and visual design to tell wonderful stories influenced by culture and traditions that are familiar to the worldwide population of Hispanic and Latino families and reflect the interests and aspirations of all children as told through a classic fairy tale.

Nancy Kanter, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Disney Junior Worldwide

She will debut in a special episode of “Sofia the First” on Disney Junior next year, and then have her own spin-off series on the network, “Elena of Avalor.” The 16-year-old princess who has been trapped insisde an amulet for decades by the evil Shuriki will be voiced by Aimee Carrero, of ABC Family’s “Young & Hungry.”