ENTERTAINMENT
Disney’s first Latina princess to become queen
The character Elena made her debut in 2016
Disney is set to have its first Latina queen. The Emmy Award-wining animated series Elena of Avalor will conclude Aug. 23 with the coronation of its title character. In the special titled Elena of Avalor: Coronation Day, plans for Elena’s coronation are underway, but the crown princess will have to save her family and friends after a team of villains unleash legendary spirit misfits, the Four Shades of Awesome. Elena, who is Disney’s first Latina princess, will have to journey to the Spirit World and back, and face the ultimate test of her courage and character, before ascending the throne. Justina Machado, Gina Rodriguez, Mario Lopez, John Leguizamo, and Gina Torres are among the guest voice cast members who will be returning for the epic prime-time finale.
“It has been a tremendous honor for me to bring Disney’s first Latina princess to the screen. Everyone involved with ‘Elena of Avalor,’ from the creative team to the unbelievable cast and crew, felt the responsibility to get this right,” creator and executive producer Craig Gerber said in a statement shared with HOLA! USA.
“We created the character of Elena with the hope that she would be a role model, not just for young Latina girls watching, but for all children to be able to see what a true leader looks like. From the beginning, Elena’s story arc has been that she would one day become queen,” Craig continued. “With the series finale, the creative team has been able to bring Elena’s story to the thrilling conclusion that we always envisioned. I can’t wait for viewers to see the final chapter in Elena’s epic adventure.”
Elena of Avalor first premiered in July of 2016. The animated series inspired by Latin cultures and folklore, tells the story of Elena, a brave teenager, voiced by Aimee Carrero, who has been learning what it takes to be a great leader by ruling her enchanted fairy-tale kingdom as crown princess until she is old enough to be queen.
“It’s really nice to work on a show that means something to people,” Aimee said in a video earlier this month. “There’s just something so special about being able to voice a character that is representative of my culture and my background and hoping that younger kids will be able to see themselves represented in this show.”
Watch new episodes of Elena of Avalor every Sunday starting July 26 at 5 p.m. ET on Disney Junior and DisneyNOW.
