SOFIA UNLOCKS A SECRET WORLD AND BECOMES STORYKEEPER OF MAGICAL BOOKS IN
"SOFIA THE FIRST: THE SECRET LIBRARY," THE FIRST EPISODE OF A
FOUR-PART STORY ARC, DEBUTING MONDAY, OCTOBER 12
ON DISNEY CHANNEL AND DISNEY JUNIOR
Merida from Disney•Pixar's "Brave" Makes Special Appearance
Hugh Bonneville, Cary Elwes, Bonnie Hunt, Eric Stonestreet,
Ruth Connell and Dean Norris Among Guest Voice Cast
Sofia's Aunt Tilly returns to
give her a gift that will unlock a secret world and appoint Sofia storykeeper
of magical books in "Sofia the First: The Secret Library," the first
episode of a four-part story arc, debuting MONDAY,
OCTOBER 12 on Disney Channel (9:00 a.m., ET/PT) and Disney Junior (7:00
p.m., ET/PT). The episode features a special appearance by Merida from Disney•Pixar's
"Brave." Bonnie Hunt ("Cars") and Eric Stonestreet
("Modern Family") reprise their roles as Aunt Tilly and Sofia's
flying horse, Minimus, respectively. Hugh Bonneville ("Downton
Abbey") lends his voice as the Narrator throughout the four-part Secret
Library storyline. Additional guest stars include Cary Elwes ("The
Princess Bride") as nefarious Prince Roderick, Ruth Connell ("Supernatural) as Merida and Dean Norris
("Breaking Bad") as Minimus' brother, Mazzimo.
Yesterday, September 1, Disney Publishing Worldwide releases the
illustrated storybook and e-book
Sofia the First: The Secret Library, which introduces the tale of how Sofia
becomes storykeeper of magical books without endings and now, must pursue adventures
that will finish the narratives. An accompanying app featuring three exclusive stories
and play experiences will be released on
Thursday,
October 8.
A full-length preview and game for
"Sofia the First: The Secret Library" will debut on
WATCHDisneyJunior.com and the
WATCH Disney Junior app beginning
Monday,
October 5.
Disney Junior's "Sofia the
First" is the all-time record holder for the top two cable TV telecasts
for Kids 2-5 and TV's #1 series in Girls 2-5. It tells the story of Princess Sofia, an ordinary girl who becomes a
princess and, throughout her journey, learns that possessing the
characteristics of a true princess – honesty, loyalty, compassion and grace –
is what makes one truly royal. The series stars the voices of Ariel Winter as
Sofia; Sara Ramirez as Queen Miranda; Wayne Brady as Clover; and Tim Gunn as
Baileywick.
"Sofia the First" was
developed by Craig Gerber and is directed by Jamie Mitchell. Gerber and Mitchell both serve as executive
producers. Emmy Award winners John Kavanaugh and Kevin Kliesch are the series' songwriter/music
director and composer, respectively. "Sofia the First" is a
production of Disney Television Animation.
Disney
Junior reflects the emotional connection generations of consumers have to
Disney storytelling and Disney characters, both classic and contemporary. It
invites mom and dad to join their child in the Disney experience of magical,
musical and heartfelt stories and characters, while incorporating specific
learning and development themes designed for kids age 2-7. Disney Junior's
series blend Disney's unparalleled storytelling and characters kids love deeply
with learning, including early math, language skills, healthy eating and
lifestyles, and social skills. In the U.S., Disney Junior is a daily
programming block on Disney Channel and a 24-hour channel reaching over 73
million U.S. homes. In total, there are
34 Disney Junior channels in 25 languages around the world.
Also, Disney Junior is hoping to inspire the youngest of kids to put pen to paper with "
Dear Sofia," a special initiative tied to the hit animated series. In today's digital world, the art of the handwritten letter is often lost. Whether they want to know more about Sofia's home in Enchancia, her friends, or to tell Sofia about their own adventures and send her a picture that they've drawn, Disney Junior is inviting kids to send a hand-written letter to Sofia and receive a response back in the mail. Please visit
DisneyJunior.com/DearSofia for more information. There is also games, printable activities and more at Disneyjunior.com!
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