It’s cheetah-ficial! TVLine can confirm that Disney Channel and Disney+ have greenlit a fourth movie in Disney’s girl-group franchise. “The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen” will enter production this month in South Africa, with several original stars returning alongside a new group of young performers.
Before we get into the “Next Gen” of it all, let’s start with who’s coming back: Original group members Raven-Symoné and Adrienne Bailon will both return, playing Galleria and Chanel respectively, while Sabrina Bryan will also make a special appearance as Dorinda. Unfortunately, fourth member Kiely Williams is not expected to return as Aqua.
The new pack of Cheetahs includes Leah Sava Jeffries (“Percy Jackson and the Olympians”) as Galleria’s daughter Faith, Carmen Sanchez (“Electric Bloom”) as Chanel’s sister Dior, newcomer Sophie Lennon as Brooklyn, and Kaileen Chang (“I Woke Up a Vampire”) as Ruby.
So, what does “Next Gen” have in store for our Cheetahs? According to Disney, “the story picks up when Cheetah Girls Galleria and Chanel, alongside Galleria’s daughter Faith and her three friends, travel to Africa to volunteer at a wildlife sanctuary. Along the way, these four teen girls test their friendship, find their voice, and discover the true Cheetah spirit as they save the preserve and ultimately take the stage as the new Cheetah Girls.”
Two more familiar faces — Lynn Whitfield as Galleria’s mom Dorothea, and Lori Alter as Chanel’s mom Juanita — will also return. Additional “Cheetah Girls: Next Gen” cast members include Sophia Bush (“One Tree Hill”) as Jennifré, and local South African actor Kamogelo Ramashala as Kendi.
Original “Cheetah Girls” executive producer Debra Martin Chase will return to EP alongside Raven-Symoné. Directed by Billie Woodruff, the movie is written by Kara Holden, Sarah Watson, and Debra Swisher, with choreography by Kyle Hanagami.
What are your thoughts on The Cheetah Girls’ long-awaited return? Were you hoping we’d get a full reunion of the original foursome? Drop a comment with your take on “The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen” below.
Meet the next generation of Cheetah Girls
Behold, your new Cheetah Girls. As mentioned above, Leah Sava Jeffries of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” fame will play Galleria’s daughter Faith; Carmen Sanchez (“Electric Bloom”) will play Chanel’s sister Dior, newcomer Sophie Lennon will play Brooklyn, and Kaileen Chang (“I Woke Up a Vampire”) will play Ruby.
A brief history of The Cheetah Girls
Based on the novels by Deborah Gregory, “The Cheetah Girls” premiered on Disney Channel in 2003, starring Raven-Symoné as Galleria, Adrienne Bailon as Chanel, Kiely Williams as Aqua, and Sabrina Bryan as Dorinda — four singing, dancing Manhattan teens who form the titular girl group. The 2006 sequel (directed by the legendary Kenny Ortega) relocated the foursome to Barcelona, Spain, where they entered and performed in an international music festival.
Sans Raven-Symoné, the other three stars returned in 2008 for “Cheetah Girls: One World,” which sent them to India after they were cast in a Bollywood movie.
In addition to the movies spawning best-selling soundtracks, The Cheetah Girls (minus Raven-Symoné) also released several albums as a girl group outside of the films — 2005’s “Cheetah-licious Christmas” and 2007’s “TCG.” The trio also embarked on three separate tours throughout the franchise in 2005, 2006, and 2008.
