Disney's First Latina Princess Elena of Avalor to Get Doll
Not only is Disney's first Latina princess, Elena of Avalor, getting her own show this year, but she is also getting a doll in her image.
According to NBC News, on Feb. 12, at the annual Toy Fair in New York City, Disney and Hasbro will unveil the first doll modeled after the new animated princess.
Elena will be introduced to Disney Junior viewers in a summer episode of "Sofia The First." The series, also called "Elena of Avalor," will premiere shortly after that.
Cast to voice the new princess is 27-year-old "Young & Hungry" actress Aimee Carrero, who is Dominican-American.
"It is such an honor to be the voice of Elena of Avalor, and to see her as a doll is absolutely surreal," Carrero said, reported NBC. "I cannot wait for audiences around the world to meet her."
The move for a Latin Disney princess came after Disney mistakenly called "Sofia the First" its first Latina. After much criticism, because Sofia looked "too white," they backtracked and explained that she is of mixed heritage. Elena's exact Latino background hasn't been specified, but in a statement Disney revealed that she was inspired by Latino cultures, reported Entertainment Weekly.
The series will also feature the voice of another up and coming Latina and Disney star, Jenna Ortega, who will voice a friend of princess Elena named Isabel.
Ortega, who is known for her role of young Jane on "Jane the Virgin," will also be portraying a Latina protagonist when she stars in the new Disney Channel series "Stuck in the Middle." The series follows the everyday struggles of the Diaz family, as Ortega's character, the middle child of seven, tries to find her place in the family.
Disney is also working on another princess to help add diversity to its animated roster. The new princess, named Moana, will be of Polynesian decent and will be voiced by actress Auli'i Cravalho.
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