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Disney is introducing its first Latina princess with the new animated television series “Elena of Avalor.”
The series focuses on the adventures of the title character, who is described as being “a brave and adventurous teenager who has saved her kingdom from an evil sorceress and must now learn to rule as crown princess until she is old enough to be queen.”
"She's still underage so she's not yet ready to rule and so, she just has the challenge of taking care of her family and this huge kingdom and have this awesome responsibility," said actress Aimee Carrero, who is the voice of Elena.
The series will tell stories that draw on the traditions, foods and customs of Latin and Hispanic cultures. Magic, mythology and folklore will also play an important role, and each episode will include original songs in a number of Latin musical styles including Latin pop, salsa and banda.
Carrero's mother is of Dominican decent and her father is Puerto Rican. Carrero said it means "absolutely everything" for her to play the first Latina princess.
"Disney's been in my family for a very long time and just to see my own images represented, my own culture represented, is really special and I hope it will be for everybody watching," she said.
"What I love most about Elena is she's her own hero," Carrero added. "There's no 'Prince Charming,' so I hope people at home watching will just be inspired her sense of self, her confidence and her leadership."
The series premieres Friday, July 22 at 7 p.m. ET on Disney Channel. Carrero, 27, sings Elena's anthem, "My Time."
Carrero has appeared in Freeform’s hit series “Young & Hungry,” among other popular productions. The actress was live on “GMA” today to discuss her role in the new series.
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loginUSA TodayElena of Avalor is a new Disney Channel series that features its first Latina princess, "a confident and compassionate teenager in an enchanted fairy tale kingdom inspired by diverse Latin cultures and folklore."
Disney Junior first introduced the world to Elena in a special episode of the Sofia the First series last year.
Here's what we know about Elena's world so far, before the July 22 premiere.
The show heavily features "Latin folklore and cultural traditions."
Among the many ways Elena will represent the protagonist's culture, according to the New York Times: Aztec-inspired architecture; a soundtrack including mariachi, salsa and Chilean hip-hop; and Elena's ornamental apricot mallow, a flower native to Southern California and Mexico, that she sometimes wears in her hair.
Elena's cast members have spoken about how much Disney's representation of Latin and Hispanic traditions "Disney's been in my family for a very long time and just to see my own images represented, my own culture represented, is really special and I hope it will be for everybody watching," actress Aimee Carrero, the voice of Elena, told Good Morning America.
Disney worked to get its references right.
Disney's unveiling of Elena will almost certainly be accompanied by analysis of the show's cultural references. To avoid an embarrassing faux pas, the article reports that Disney "brought in a whole lot of consultants to advise on everything,” said Nancy Kanter, the Disney executive overseeing the show. “We wanted to make sure that she didn’t have a doll-like appearance, and we really wanted to steer clear of romance."
Elena of Avalor tackles weighty topics for a children's show.
Like many Disney franchises, its premise involves the death of the princess' parents. In the first episode, Elena grapples with becoming an orphan, trying to prove she's ready to be queen.
"What I love most about Elena is she's her own hero," Carrero said about her character. "There's no Prince Charming, so I hope people at home watching will just be inspired her sense of self, her confidence and her leadership."
Hopefully, since Elena is a TV series and not just a two-hour movie, it can delve deeper into what it's like to lose family members at a young age, in a way that's nuanced and educational for its young audience.
Just because Elena of Avalor is a TV show doesn't mean it's not cinematic.
Unlike most of her other princess counterparts, Elena isn't the star of her own Disney movie. However, her story still has big-screen ambitions, with the article reporting that Disney wanted the series to feel more like a movie than an average cartoon. “The goal is certainly to give it as cinematic a feel as possible,” said Tony Morales, who scored Elena.
And Elena will still have a massive reach, with Disney planning to broadcast five seasons of the show in 163 countries and 34 languages.
Elena will get the Disney princess marketing treatment.
Disney is already planning extensive promotional efforts around Elena, from merchandise to meet-and-greets at theme parks. Elena-branded products like stuffed animals and shoes first became available on July 1, with princess costumes following in time for Halloween
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