Sofia the First

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Edelman, Amelia; Lopez, Lindsey Hunter (June 10, 2020). "50 Movies for Preschoolers & Toddlers — That Aren't Too Scary". SheKnows. Archived from the original on July 22, 2023 . Retrieved June 15, 2022. As a child, Gerber lived with hissingle mother, and herboyfriend and his daughter, whom Gerber considered to be a de facto stepsister. As an adult, he learnt that when step-siblings and parents were involved, ordinary childhood concerns were typically amplified. Decades later, while attempting to lend a contemporary viewpoint to afairy tale world, he had an epiphany: He considered the possibilities if Sofia was not born a princess and instead married into a royal family. Step-sisters are a common theme in fairy tales. However, having a mixed royal family that included both a father and a mother appeared to be a prime opportunity to convey stories to which modern children could connect. [7] According to Gerber, Sofia being the child of a single mother provided to a simple method to explore themes of adaptation. [5] He hoped for Sofia to serve as a good role model in a society where many young girls desire to be princesses, demonstrating attributes and learning skills that young girls (and boys) could remember long after. [7] Gerber planned to reference multicultural family dynamics as well. [5] Zach Callison (Upon a Princess Pilot/Season 1-2), Tyler Merna (Season 2-3/ Elena of Avalor Pilot) and Nicolas Cantu (Season 3-4) as Prince James In November 2022, Gerber reportedly expanded his deal with Disney. He began developing a Sofia the First spin-off that is set in the same world. [55] Merchandising [ edit ] Sofia the First is an American animated fantasy children's television series created by Craig Gerber. The series follows a young peasant girl named Sofia, voiced by Ariel Winter, who becomes a princess after her mother marries the king of Enchancia. Episodes focus on her adventures and bonds with others, including her animal friends, with whom she communicates through an amulet that blesses and curses her based upon the goodness of her actions. The series aimed to employ relatable situations in a fantasy world; according to Gerber, Sofia's position as a child of a single mother allowed the team to explore themes of adaptation and connect to modern children. The series pilot premiered on November 18, 2012, on Disney Channel. The series itself premiered on January 11, 2013, on Disney Junior, aired for four seasons, and concluded on September 8, 2018.

Glendale, Calif (June 26, 2013). " "Sofia the First" Merchandise Line Launches at Retailers Nationwide". Disney Consumer Products. Archived from the original on July 21, 2022 . Retrieved July 21, 2022– via BusinessWire. Nordyke, Kimberly (April 23, 2018). " 'Disney Junior Dance Party on Tour' Adds 50 More Shows (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 21, 2022 . Retrieved July 21, 2022. Disney Junior Launching 'Sofia The First' Spinoff 'Elena Of Avalor' In 2016". Deadline Hollywood. January 29, 2015. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022 . Retrieved June 21, 2022. Rome, Emily; Mitchell, Jamie (October 16, 2012). " 'Sofia the First': Disney's first Hispanic princess?". Entertainment Weekly. She is Latina, .. It's sort of a matter-of-fact situation rather than an overt thing. a b Bruce, Graeme (April 16, 2020). "Which streaming service do most parents think has good content for kids?". YouGov. Archived from the original on August 18, 2022 . Retrieved August 20, 2022.a b Nordyke, Kimberly (March 5, 2013). "Disney Junior's 'Sofia the First' Renewed for Second Season". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 15, 2022 . Retrieved June 15, 2022.

Following the controversy regarding Sofia's ethnicity, Gerber noticed the demand for a Latina princess; the idea "bubbled in [his] mind" and partially inspired the creation of spin-off series Elena of Avalor, which stars a Latina princess as its titular character. [53] She is introduced in Sofia the First special episode Elena and the Secret of Avalor, in which Sofia discovers that Elena has been trapped inside her amulet for decades because of an invasion of Avalor by the evil sorceress Shuriki. Sofia and her family travel to Avalor to free Elena and restore the kingdom. [54]a b c Gerber, Craig (November 16, 2012). "Why I Created Disney's Newest Princess". HuffPost. Archived from the original on June 5, 2022 . Retrieved June 1, 2022. The series premiere episode, titled "Just One of the Princes", was made available on several platforms, including Disney Channel SVOD and iTunes, on January 4, 2013, a week before its airdate. [9] Sofia the First was streamable on Netflix; [20] its second and fourth seasons were made available in January 2016 and October 2018, respectively. [21] [22] The show was moved to Disney+ after its Netflix contract expired. [20] In October 2022, the series was released on Disney+ in the United States. [23] Disney has also released several episodes on DVD, including "The Floating Palace", [24] "The Curse of Princess Ivy", [25] and the television film Once Upon a Princess. [26] Reception [ edit ] Critical reception [ edit ]

Sofia the First: Forever Royal" Premieres Saturday, September 8, on Disney Junior" (Press release). Disney Channel. July 22, 2018 . Retrieved August 28, 2018– via The Futon Critic. a special extended-length finale episode For five years, Disney writers, child-development and early-education experts and storytelling consultants worked to create a television show that would bypass stereotypes of evil stepmothers and girls requiring princes to save them. [5] Disney also wanted it to spawn various merchandise. [6] Craig Gerber, who was writing for the company's Tinker Bell film series, [5] was approached by Disney Junior's Nancy Kanter to create a television series about princesses aimed at children aged two to seven. Though excited to conceive a fantasy world and Princess fairy tale, Gerber wanted the show to be both entertaining and educational, teaching children how to be better people and solutions to social problems. His son often emulateda variety of fantasy characters with whom he had little in common. In the hopes the show could be a "magic mirror" for his son, Gerber employed relatable situations into the fantasy world, which became the genesis for Princess Sofia. [7]Milligan, Mercedes (April 30, 2017). "2017 Daytime Emmy Award Winners". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022 . Retrieved June 6, 2022. Sofia the First". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on July 22, 2023 . Retrieved June 2, 2022. Daytime Emmy Awards 2015: Complete Winners List". TheWrap. April 26, 2015. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022 . Retrieved June 6, 2022. a b Schneider, Michael (November 27, 2012). "Disney Schedules Launch for New Pre-school Phenom Sofia The First". TV Guide. Archived from the original on July 20, 2022 . Retrieved July 18, 2022. Kliesch, Kevin (June 5, 2014). "Kevin Kliesch talks about composing the score for Disney Junior's "Sofia the First" ". MediaMikes (Interview). Interviewed by Mike Gencarelli . Retrieved June 9, 2022.

Rodriguez, Cindy; Kanter, Nancy (October 25, 2012). "Disney producer 'misspoke': 'First Latina princess' isn't Latina". CNN. Archived from the original on October 31, 2012 . Retrieved October 25, 2012. Sandberg, Bryn (January 10, 2018). "Humanitas Prize Finalists Announced for 2018". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 5, 2022 . Retrieved June 6, 2022. Elena of Avalor: Princess Elena • Princess Isabel • Francisco • Luisa • Shuriki • Alacazar • Zuzo • Mateo • Migs, Luna, and Skylar • Rafa • Chancellor Esteban • Armando • King Raul and Queen Lucia • Naomi Turner Simons, Roxy (October 29, 2022). "What's On Disney+ in October 2022? From 'Werewolf by Night' to 'Star Wars' ". Newsweek. Archived from the original on November 19, 2022 . Retrieved November 19, 2022. Daytime Emmy Nominations: 'Young And The Restless' Leads With 26 Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. May 1, 2014. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022 . Retrieved June 6, 2022.Hailu, Selome (November 17, 2022). " 'Sofia the First' Spinoff in Development at Disney Branded Television in Extension of Craig Gerber's Overall Deal". Variety. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022 . Retrieved December 1, 2022. Roland gives Sofia a powerful artifact called the Amulet of Avalor, which blesses her for good deeds and curses her for wrongdoings. She becomes friends with rabbit Clover and birds Mia and Robin after the amulet gives her the ability to communicate with animals. The amulet also links "all the princesses there ever were", calling them to help each other when one is in need. Cedric, the royal sorcerer, regularly attempts to steal Sofia's amulet, knowing of its abilities. Cedric plans to use the power of the amulet to overthrow the royal family and take over the kingdom of Enchancia. As he grows closer to Sofia, however, he becomes doubtful about stealing the amulet, and eventually reveals his intentions and apologizes for his actions. Truitt, Brian (October 10, 2013). " 'Sofia the First' goes underwater for November special". USA Today. Archived from the original on July 20, 2022 . Retrieved July 18, 2022.