A spinoff of Disney Junior's popular animated series "Sofia the First" will introduce the company's first Latina princess.
Elena of Avalor is the star of the upcoming, eponymous, animated series that will air in 2016, Disney announced Thursday.
The princess is 16, and lives in a world that borrows from Latin culture and folklore. ABC Family's "Young & Hungry" star Aimee Carrero will voice Elena.
The new princess's back story is that she was imprisoned inside an amulet after defending her family from an evil sorceress. Years later, Princess Sofia learns the truth about the amulet she has been wearing around her neck, and decides to free Princess Elena.
Disney Junior Worldwide EVP Nancy Kanter said the show will have a broad appeal.
"What excites us most is the chance to use distinctive animation and visual design to tell wonderful stories influenced by culture and traditions that are familiar to the worldwide population of Hispanic and Latino families and reflect the interests and aspirations of all children as told through a classic fairy tale," she said in a statement.
"Elena of Avalor" will air in 25 languages on Disney Junior, and on daily programming blocks for children ages 2-7 on the Disney Channel and other platforms. The new show will be available in 54 countries around the world.
