In a refreshingly progressive move Disney has released a trailer for its first Latin Princess. Disney’s new show Elena of Avalor will star Aimee Carrero, who voices the part of Princess Elena, a young Latin princess who inherits the throne, and must fight to protect her country from evil.
Disney claims the show will “incorporate influences from diverse Latin and Hispanic cultures”, suggesting these cultures will be honoured and celebrated in this series. Hopefully this will help spread the message of acceptance as children learn more about different cultures.
The show’s creator and executive producer Craig Gerber claimed that “It was very important to us that, since we were doing a show with a kingdom inspired by Latin American culture, that we get that right. Even though it’s a fairytale world, there are things that feel very authentic”.
This follows the similarly progressive upcoming Disney release, the film Moana, starring Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson, following the adventures of a Polynesian princess and a famous demigod called Maui. Such steps signal a new direction for Disney, suggesting they will focus more on exploring and celebrating a variety of cultures and people and provide princesses which will inspire young girls and boys from all backgrounds.
Aimee Carrero praised the focus of the show, stating that “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”.
Elena of Avalor will air on 22/7/16 at 7pm. A film called Elena And The Secret Of Avalor will also be released in Autumn, and Princess Elena will be available in Disney’s theme parks and merchandise.
Watch the trailer below.
