The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen

Lore & Background

The film brings back original cast members Raven-Symoné as Galleria Garibaldi, Adrienne Bailon-Houghton as Chanel Simmons, and Sabrina Bryan as Dorinda Thomas. Kiely Williams is not set to return as Aqua. Lynn Whitfield and Lori Anne Alter also return, both having been absent from the third installment. Raven-Symoné was absent from The Cheetah Girls: One World due to scheduling conflicts and creative differences.

Reader's Guide

The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen continues the legacy of the franchise by introducing a new generation of characters. The story follows Galleria and Chanel taking Faith (Galleria's daughter), Dior (Chanel's sister), and their friends to Africa to volunteer at a wildlife sanctuary. The new generation of Cheetahs will test their friendship, find their voice, and discover the true Cheetah spirit as they save the preserve and ultimately take the stage as the new Cheetah Girls. The film was officially announced on July 8, 2026, with filming confirmed to begin in July 2026 in South Africa. Raven-Symoné serves as an executive producer, and the film features choreography from Kyle Hanagami. The casting includes four new young stars: Leah Sava Jeffries, Carmen Sanchez, Kaileen Chang, and Sophie Lennon, along with newcomer Kamogelo Ramashala from South Africa, cast through a global casting call. Sophia Bush was cast in a supporting role.

Did You Know?

• Raven-Symoné was absent from The Cheetah Girls: One World due to scheduling conflicts and creative differences.
• Kiely Williams is not set to return as Aqua in this film.
• Newcomer Kamogelo Ramashala was cast through a global casting call and is from South Africa.

The Reunion & the New Generation of Cheetahs

The July 8, 2026 announcement, delivered through a social media video posted by Raven-Symoné herself, confirmed what fans had long hoped: the original Cheetah Girls would gather once more. Symoné steps back into the role of Galleria Garibaldi, a character she was notably absent from during the third film's production. Adrienne Bailon-Houghton returns as Chanel Simmons and also takes on a co-producer role, while Sabrina Bryan is set to make a special appearance as Dorinda Thomas. Longtime supporting players Lynn Whitfield and Lori Anne Alter rejoin the ensemble, both of whom had been absent from the 2008 entry. Kiely Williams, however, is not set to return as Aqua. Filling the spotlight alongside the veterans is an entirely new generation. Leah Sava Jeffries, known from Percy Jackson and the Olympians, plays Faith, Galleria's daughter. Carmen Sanchez, previously seen in Electric Bloom, takes on Dior, Chanel's younger sister. Kaileen Chang and Sophie Lennon round out the core quartet as Ruby and Brooklyn, while Kamogelo Ramashala, discovered through a global casting call and hailing from South Africa, brings the role of Kendi. Sophia Bush joins in a supporting capacity.

Story, Setting & the Passing of the Torch

The narrative of The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen centers on a journey to Africa, where Galleria and Chanel bring a mixed group of young women—including Faith, Galleria's daughter; Dior, Chanel's younger sister; and their circle of friends—to volunteer at a wildlife sanctuary. This setting serves as both a backdrop for community service and a crucible for the new generation of Cheetahs. According to the official premise, these young women will test the bonds of their friendship, find their individual voices, and discover what the franchise calls the true Cheetah spirit. Their arc culminates in saving the preserve itself, after which they ultimately take the stage as the new Cheetah Girls. The story thus weaves together themes of intergenerational mentorship, environmental stewardship, and the passing of a musical torch from one group of friends to the next, all set against the landscapes of the African continent where filming will also take place.

Production, Creative Team & Disney's Vision

Billie Woodruff helms the project as director, with production confirmed to kick off in July 2026 on location in South Africa—a choice that aligns with the film's African setting and the South African heritage of cast member Kamogelo Ramashala. Raven-Symoné takes on an executive producer role alongside Debra Martin Chase, giving the franchise's most recognizable star a behind-the-camera stake in the project's direction. Choreography is handled by Kyle Hanagami. The film is slated to premiere in 2027 across Disney Channel and Disney+, ensuring simultaneous availability for both linear and streaming audiences. Ayo Davis, President of Disney Kids & Family, framed the project in a public statement as a continuation of a spirit that connected deeply with a generation of fans and still resonates today. Davis emphasized that bringing a dynamic new group of young stars into the franchise allows Disney to carry that legacy forward for a new era of kids and families, positioning the film as both a homecoming and a forward-looking statement.

Franchise Legacy & the Long Road to Reunion

The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen stands as the fourth installment in a franchise that first captured imaginations in the mid-2000s, serving as a direct sequel to The Cheetah Girls: One World (2008). The road to this reunion was neither immediate nor guaranteed. In 2021, when asked about a potential get-together, Adrienne Bailon expressed willingness but voiced concern about ruining the memory fans held of the original series. In the years that followed, both Raven-Symoné and Sabrina Bryan publicly expressed interest in seeing a reboot materialize. Symoné's absence from the 2008 film had roots in a painful experience during the production of The Cheetah Girls 2, where she felt ostracized on set. That history makes her return—both in front of and behind the camera—a particularly meaningful chapter. The franchise, which Disney's leadership describes as fundamentally about friendship, music, and empowering young people to use their voice, now enters a new era where the original cast mentors a fresh group of performers, bridging two generations of fans under one shared banner.