Disney+ Puts a Spin On A Classic Fairy Tale With ‘Sneakerella’

Lexi Underwood, Chosen Jacobs and NBA champ John Salley join the pop/hip-hop musical cast.

Move over, Cinderella—Disney has a new fairy-tale, and it’s an avant-garde Disney+ original movie called Sneakerella.

The pop/hip-hop musical puts a twist on the classic fairy-tale, reimagining it on the sneaker-head subculture streets of New York. Chosen Jacobs of It and Lexi Underwood of Little Fires Everywhere are set to star alongside four-time NBA champ John Salley, and production has begun for a premiere next year.

Lexi Underwood shot by Connor Franta

Sneakerella centers on El (Chosen Jacobs), an aspiring sneaker designer from Queens who runs a shoe store once owned by his late mother. His stepfather and “evil step brothers” are unaware of his artistic enterprise and curb every opportunity that comes his way; when he meets Kira King (Lexi Underwood), daughter of legendary basketball star and sneakerhead Darius King (Salley), the two bond over sneakers and…well, perhaps they’ll get a happily ever after, especially with the help of El’s Fairy Godfather. 

The cast also features Devyn Nekoda (Backstage) as Sami, El’s best friend; Disney familiar face Juan Chioran (Cheetah Girls) as Gustavo, El’s neighbor; and Robyn Alomar (Utopia Falls) as Kira’s sister Liv.

The Disney+ original is written by Tamara Chestna (After), George Gore II (My Wife and Kids) and Mindy Stern (The Baxters), while Jane Startz (Ella Enchanted) and Rachel Watanabe-Batton (I Pity the Fool) executive produce.

 

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