"Sofia the First: Royal Magic" Set to Arrive with Old and New Friends, New Music, and a New School

Princess Sofia is back in a brand new series on Disney Jr. with the upcoming debut of Sofia the First: Royal Magic. Taking place as a sort of sequel series to the original Sofia the First on the network, we're getting ready to visit Sofia once again, this time as she gets ready to hone her magic skills and make new friends at the Charmswell School.

After being introduced in the pilot movie, Once Upon A Princess back in 2012, we were then introduced to a full series starring Sofia the First in 2013 on Disney Jr. It was a classic Princess Story, yet remarkably relatable. Sofia is an ordinary village girl whose life changes when her mother marries King Roland II of the magical kingdom of Enchancia. Suddenly, Sofia becomes a princess and has to adjust to palace life, royal school, and new step-siblings. Further enticing Disney fans, Sofia has a magical amulet, which let her talk to animals and sometimes even summoned other Disney princesses like Cinderella and Ariel.

The series ended back in 2018, and even spun off another hit Disney Jr. series, Elena of Avalor. It had plenty of fans, and has been introduced to a whole new generation of fans thanks to streaming platforms and Disney+.

"The original show was Sofia really getting to know her new family, and she had a lot of friends and a lot of adventures, but it was really about the family" says creator Craig Gerber, "This series is more about Sofia and these new friends in the way that a young person in the world starts out in their family and then they head out to school. As their world gets bigger, they have to learn how to get along with their new friends. I think that's one of the big changes, it's going to be a lot more friend-focused."

Those friends include the new characters of Layla, Camila, and Zane, classmates at the Charmswell School who also end up in the same clubhouse as Sofia. In a move that adults might find a bit familiar, Sofia ends up at the magic school under the tutelage of Miss Nettle, who splits up the students into different clubhouses named after her own mentors - Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather.

While Sofia is making new friends, an old friend is coming back to help her out in the new series - original voice actress Ariel Winter (Modern Family). "I have been playing Sofia since I was 10 years old, so it's been 18 years for me," Winter said. "When I heard that [Sofia] was coming back in a new series, I was amazed. I was so excited. She's such a beautiful character, and such a special show... I remember when I first auditioned for it and I heard the premise and basically went in, I was a little girl and I was like 'Wow I'd love to be a princess that would be so exciting,' but as I got older and just knowing what the show means to young people and people in general, it's just so special."

Familiar friends will also be returning in the new series, including Sofia's pet bunny, Clover, once again voiced by Wayne Brady. We'll also see more adventures with Sofia's family, her new friends, and maybe all of them together. However, a lot of fans have been wondering who we'll get to see in the new series in regards to Disney royalty. From the jump, we see Rapunzel from Tangled, who tells Sofia that she is quite magical and there might be some Villains (so expect them too!) out there who might want to try and take that magic. Moana is also slated for an appearance, with a special appearance that is a bit close to creator Craig Gerber, with Elena seeking out Sofia. "That was the series I did after Sofia, Elena of Avalor," Gerber says, "So its neat to have her visit as a Disney Princess coming for help."

Miss Nettle, already mentioned above, is a name that fans might also recall as she has a significant plot point in the original series at the school in that show, Royal Prep. However, after a turn of events that we won't spoil here, she is now back in one of the biggest callbacks to the original series that Royal Magic has, serving as the headmaster of the new school.

Another returning aspect of the series: the music. The original series was known for its music and stories, and the new series levels up the tunes and it's noticeable from the new introduction and theme song alone - complete with an underlying techno beat.

"Music has always been very important to the show," Gerber says. "You want that great mix of animated Disney Princess Music, and what current music sounds like. It's always been the way we've done it. The first show we bounced around different genres and we're going to do that here and I'm thrilled. I've always been a fan of dance music and EDM... so I was like 'oh, we're gonna put a trap beat underneath this? That's great!' There was one point we were doing it and I was like 'oh we need trap fill here.'"

It was point of great admiration for Winter, who has worked with Gerber in the role of Sofia since she was kid. Commenting on his use of "trap fill" in the theme and in general is what makes him "one of her favorite people."

You can get to know all the new characters, new music, and new fun of the series when Sofia the First: Royal Magic arrives on Disney Jr. on May 25, arriving the next day on Disney+. You can also find out what we thought of the new series in our Sofia the First: Royal Magic review.