The Cheetah Girls head to Africa for a new chapter.
The Cheetah Girls are making their long-awaited return. Disney Channel and Disney+ have officially greenlit The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen.
It is a new music-driven movie that brings the beloved franchise back into the spotlight with familiar faces and a fresh group. The movie will go into production in South Africa this month. The film will follow a new generation of Cheetah Girls as they travel to Africa, discover their voices, and learn what it means to carry on the Cheetah spirit.
Raven-Symoné returns as Galleria, while Adrienne Bailon returns as Chanel. Both stars helped launch the original Cheetah Girls phenomenon which became one of Disney Channel’s most memorable music franchises of the 2000s. Lynn Whitfield and Lori Alter are also set to reprise their roles as Dorothea and Juanita. Sabrina Bryan will make a special appearance as Dorinda, while Sophia Bush is set to appear in a supporting role as Jennifré.
The Cheetah Girls Return With Familiar Faces
For fans who grew up with The Cheetah Girls, the return of Galleria and Chanel is the big hook. The original Disney Channel movie premiered in 2003. It followed four young performers trying to make it as a girl group while learning that friendship, loyalty, and identity mattered more than fame.
The original cast featured Raven-Symoné as Galleria, Adrienne Bailon as Chanel, Kiely Williams as Aqua, and Sabrina Bryan as Dorinda. Together, they helped turn The Cheetah Girls into a major Disney Channel favorite.
The franchise continued with The Cheetah Girls 2 in 2006 and The Cheetah Girls: One World in 2008. Across the three movies, the group became known for its music, fashion, confidence, and message of sisterhood.
Now, The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen brings that legacy forward with several returning stars and a story built around a new group of young performers.
A New Generation Finds Its Cheetah Spirit
The new movie stars Leah Sava Jeffries, known for Percy Jackson and the Olympians, as Faith, Galleria’s daughter. Carmen Sanchez, from Electric Bloom, plays Dior, Chanel’s sister.
Kaileen Chang will play Ruby, Sophie Lennon will play Brooklyn, and newcomer Kamogelo Ramashala will play Kendi. Ramashala is a local South African actor who was discovered through Disney’s global open casting call.
The story follows Galleria and Chanel as they travel to Africa with Faith and her three friends to volunteer at a wildlife sanctuary. The trip becomes more than a volunteer mission as the four teen girls test their friendship, find their voices, and discover what it really means to become the new Cheetah Girls.
Along the way, they work to save the preserve and ultimately take the stage, carrying the franchise’s message of music, courage, and sisterhood into a new era.
The Legacy Of The Cheetah Girls Lives On
The Cheetah Girls became more than a Disney Channel movie series. For many fans, it was a defining part of growing up with Disney Channel Original Movies. It gave audiences songs, style and a group of young women who supported each other through big dreams and personal challenges.
The franchise stood out because it celebrated friendship and ambition without losing sight of the power of staying true to yourself. That message helped The Cheetah Girls remain a nostalgic favorite years after the original movies aired.
The movie is executive-produced by Debra Martin Chase and Raven-Symoné. Chase executive-produced the first three Cheetah Girls movies and returns for this new chapter.
Read more News on Nerdtropolis. Subscribe to our YouTube.
Discover more from Nerdtropolis - Movie News, Reviews, Interviews, and Trailers
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Sean Tajipour
Sean Tajipour is the Founder and Editor of Nerdtropolis and the host of the Moviegoers Society and Reel Insights Podcast. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association. You can follow on Twitter and Instagram @Seantaj.
