New Animated Television Movie Sofia The First: Once Upon A Princess Premieres Saturday, November 24 on Disney Junior

NOTABLE VOICE CAST INCLUDES ARIEL WINTER, SARA RAMIREZ, WAYNE BRADY AND TIM GUNN
TV MOVIE PRECEEDED BY EXCLUSIVE NEW EPISODE OF DOC MCSTUFFINS

TORONTO, Oct. 17, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Enter a new and enchanted land created by the magic of Disney Junior with Disney's first little girl princess, Sofia, in the animated television movie Sofia the First: Once Upon A Princess debuting on Saturday, November 24 at 7 p.m. ET. This delightful music-filled presentation, with a special appearance by Disney Princess Cinderella, will be available on Disney Junior OnDemand beginning November 30. Following the television movie event, a new Sofia the First series will premiere in early 2013.

Set in the storybook world of Enchancia, the movie introduces Sofia, an average girl whose life suddenly transforms when her mother marries the king and she becomes a princess: Sofia the First. Sofia must learn to navigate the extraordinary life of royalty while holding on to her own hopes and dreams. Disney's Cinderella makes an appearance in the movie to offer Sofia some words of wisdom on her journey to become the best person she can be - princess to princess.

Sofia's royal adventure begins as she prepares to move into the castle with her mom, starting a new family with her step-father, King Roland II, and step-siblings, Amber and James. Helping Sofia in her journey are the three headmistresses of Royal Prep Academy - Fauna, Flora and Merryweather (the beloved fairies from Disney's classic Sleeping Beauty) - and royal steward, Baileywick. She is also accompanied by a group of woodland creatures led by wise-talking rabbit, Clover. Sofia soon discovers that looking like a princess isn't all that difficult, but displaying honesty, loyalty, courage, compassion and grace is what makes one truly royal.

Created for kids age 2-7 and their families, the stories of Sofia the First communicate positive messages and life lessons that are applicable to young children. While she lives in a captivating world of castles, wizards and flying horses, Sofia remains a relatable peer-to-peer princess who is experiencing many of the same social situations as young viewers at home including learning how to fit in, making new friends and mastering new skills.

Leading into the premiere of Sofia the First: Once Upon A Princess is an exclusive episode of Doc McStuffins at 6:30 p.m. ET, titled "Chilly Gets Chilly/Through the Reading Glasses." In this new episode, which makes its international debut in Canada, Doc teaches Chilly and the rest of the toys about the importance of staying warm when playing outside in the snow and Doc helps Professor Hootsborough find a new pair of glasses.

Viewers who can't wait for Sofia's magical experience to begin can visit DisneyJunior.ca/SofiaTheFirst now to learn more about Sofia the First: Once Upon A Princess prior to the premiere. On November 15, a dedicated supersite will launch featuring colouring pages, new games and a special Sofia-themed contest.

Sofia the First: Once Upon A Princess stars the voices of Ariel Winter (Modern Family) as Sofia; Sara Ramirez (Grey's Anatomy) as Queen Miranda; Wayne Brady (Let's Make A Deal) as Clover; Tim Gunn (Project Runway) as Baileywick; Darcy Rose Byrnes (Desperate Housewives) as Amber; Zach Callison (Land of the Lost) as James; Travis Willingham (Ultimate Spider-Man) as King Roland II; Jess Harnell (Doc McStuffins) as Cedric, Ashley Eckstein (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) as Mia the Bluebird and Meghan Strange (Special Agent Oso) as Robin. Disney Legend Russi Taylor (Minnie Mouse), Barbara Dirickson and Tress MacNeille (Daisy Duck) bring Fauna, Flora and Merryweather, respectively, to life. Jennifer Hale provides the voice of Cinderella.

This imaginative television movie is developed by Craig Gerber (Pixie Hollow Games), who also wrote the movie and serves as co-executive producer. Jamie Mitchell (Special Agent Oso) is executive producer and director. John Kavanaugh (Winnie The Pooh: Springtime with Roo) severs as songwriter/music director while Kevin Kliesch (Tangled Ever After) is the composer. Sofia the First: Once Upon A Princess is a production of Disney Television Animation.

Disney Junior is a commercial-free channel available in English and French to subscribers across Canada. Committed to offering the best in engaging and development-based programming for younger children, Disney Junior showcases series with a focus on magical, musical and heartfelt stories that feature beloved classic and contemporary characters. Presenting exclusive, first-run programs from Disney together with celebrated Canadian series, Disney Junior is also available through Disney Junior OnDemand and Disney Junior OnLine.

Disney Junior is a member of the Astral family. Astral Media Inc. (TSX : ACM.A/ACM.B) is one of Canada's largest media companies. It operates several of the country's most popular pay and specialty television, radio, out-of-home advertising and interactive media properties. Astral plays a central role in community life across the country by offering diverse, rich and vibrant programming that meets the tastes and needs of consumers and advertisers. To learn more about Astral, visit astral.com.

SOURCE: DISNEY JUNIOR

For artwork and series information, please visit http://press.astral.com
For additional information please contact Ginger Bertrand at 416-956-8547 or [email protected]