Disney Jr. Is Bringing Back 'Sofia The First' With 'Royal Magic' Sequel Series
It’s time for Disney Jr. to get royally schooled with an old friend
When IP is king in children’s television, it seems you better have actual fictional royalty to back that up. Disney Jr. has greenlit Sofia the First: Royal Magic, a sequel series to the channel’s incredibly popular Sofia the First starring Ariel Winter as the company’s youngest human princess. It will premiere in 2026 on both Disney Jr. and Disney+.
Following up on the original series that ran from 2012 to 2018, Sofia the First: Royal Magic will see Winter, now nearly 27, return to the role of the a young girl whose mother Miranda married King Roland of Enchancia, essentially turning her into a a princess overnight. Now she’s attending The Charmswell School for Royal Magic, an academy for princes and princesses to further their magical and royal education. It will be Disney Jr.’s second continuation in as many years as a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse revival either called Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 2.0 or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+ is set to premiere this year.
Craig Gerber, creator of Sofia the First, its spinoff Elena of Avalor, and subsequently Firebuds, serves as the creator and executive producer of this series under his development deal. “I wanted to try something new,” Gerber says, which is a little weird to say about a followup series, adding that the sequel will lean into the emotion and comedy that comes from a young princess “who is in a new school with new friends, learning new skills and encountering stories that teach her about teamwork and friendship and leadership.” Royal Magic is formatted as paired 11-minute stories, which departs from the single 22-minute stories of the original show. That’s credited to “a rise in shorter form content” in the time since Sofia the First ended. The switch to 11-minute stories is being called a “very tangible way” in which the new show is “playing to a modern audience.”
“Since its debut in 2012, Sofia the First captured the hearts and imaginations of preschoolers everywhere for its beloved characters, memorable music, adventurous spirit and meaningful storylines,” Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, said in a statement. “The enduring charm and appeal of Sofia is undeniable, and we’re excited to continue sharing her journey in Sofia the First: Royal Magic.”
Produced by Disney Television Animation, Sofia the First: Royal Magic’s creative team carries over key members from Firebuds, such as co-executive producer and story editor Krystal Banzon, supervising director Kris Wimberly and producer Craig Simpson. Certainly seems like Firebuds will wind down with Royal Magic being the show this portion of the team naturally moved onto. With a 2026 premiere, the 5 months since the series’s announcement has somewhat reasonably yet to bring that promised announcement of further casting that would indicate just how completely a new supporting cast Sofia has been surrounded with. The original series also starred Wayne Brady, Tim Gunn, Sara Ramirez, Eric Stonestreet and Kieran Shipka, and featured both Zach Callison and Nicolas Cantu at different points as Prince James Winslow, Sofia’s older stepbrother. It was one of Disney Junior’s earliest major successes after the channel launched, winning Emmys and emerging victorious in ratings in preschool demos.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
This, they revive...