\t\t\t\t\tSofia (Ariel Winter) makes new friends at the the Charmsville School for Royal Magic, including Layla (Mela Pietropaolo), Zane (Kai Harris) and Camila (Aaliyah Magcasi).<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Disney<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tIn addition, while the show features magical elements, it also stays grounded.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThere are fantastic things that happen, but not anything can happen, and\u00a0the reason we did that was so that kids could feel like they could live in that world,\u201d he says. \u201cIt felt like a real place, even though there are flying horses and trolls and magic. So, all those things combined with the lessons of friendship and the that people got when they watched the show, I think those are all those things that\u00a0create a feeling that kids then want to experience again later. It an escape. It\u2019s a place where they feel like they can go and be and exist and be with those characters they fell in love with for a little while and forget all their other problems.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tSapire echoes that comment, calling it \u201ccomfort food\u201d for the generation who grew up with it.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe really have the best fans,\u201d adds Winter. \u201cWe have been so grateful and so lucky that everybody who has seen the show has really resonated with it and has loved it. That\u2019s really all we can ask for. Being able to do this series again, but in a fun new setting and new [situations], it just means so much to get to have a whole new generation of kids be able to experience the magic that is Sofia. It is such an honor to be able to come back and do it again.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe idea for the new show came about in part due to the original series\u2019 longevity with fans, as those who grew up with it continued to show their passion for it and preschoolers discovered the show for the first time and connected with it.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cBecause we had seen this continued connection with Sofia over the years, we felt like there were still many more stories to be told,\u201d Sapire says. \u201cAnd we saw [older kids] continuing to want to revisit Sofia and her family and her friends, and now we\u2019re seeing it with the original target age group \u2014\u00a0new preschoolers who are engaging with it \u2014 and so we\u2019re seeing this now across generations. Seeing that excitement and that enthusiasm, we really thought there were new stories to tell.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tEchoes Gerber: \u201cOnce everyone realized that Sofia<\/em> was a show that had stood the test of time, that there were a lot of fans and that world had really connected with people, there was a desire to do another show in that world.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tAriel Winter in a Sofia the First: Royal Magic<\/em> recording session.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDisney\/Frank Micelotta<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tHowever, the new iteration actually started as a spinoff of Sofia the First <\/em>(the show previously produced another spinoff, Elena of Avalor, <\/em>which Gerber also created; it premiered in 2016). The idea at first was to set the show at Royal Prep, the school Sofia attends, but with new characters. \u201cI was involved with that because I loved the world and the characters, and I was happy to revisit that world,\u201d Gerber says. \u201cYou create so many different elements of a world, that there\u2019s always something you can go back and play with. But through the course of development, we realized that the story that really needed to be told were the further adventures of Sofia. Once we realized that, it became a matter of, well, what\u2019s she going to do now?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tGerber says he started thinking about what would have happened next for Sofia if the original show had continued on. Having graduated from Royal Prep, Sofia needed a new place to make new friends and have new adventures. That\u2019s when the idea for the Charmsville School for Royal Magic came about.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThat\u2019ll provide a fresh new hook for the audience,\u201d Gerber says of his thinking at the time. \u201cThat would appeal to both new viewers and potentially also old viewers if they want to see what happens next, but really give a fresh new starting-off point that separates from the original show, because you need to have a reason why the new show is happening, besides, let\u2019s just make more episodes.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tHaving adjusted to life as a royal, Sofia will now learn what it means to be a magical princess, surrounded by new friends Pepper (voiced by Nate Torrence), a mix between a dog and a unicorn, or a puppy-corn, and magical classmatees Layla (Mela Pietropaolo), Zane (Kai Harris) and Camila (Aaliyah Magcasi). Also joining the voice cast in recurring\/guest roles are Beanie Feldstein as Wildfyre, Sofia\u2019s flying horse; Yvette Nicole Brown as Lady Saddlespur; James Monroe Iglehart as Lord Primrose; Jeremy Swift as Mr. Muddykins; and Tony Hale as Mimsy Fizzlewick.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tReprising their roles from the original series are Wayne Brady as Clover, Sofia\u2019s bunny friend; Tim Gunn as Baileywick, chief adviser to the king; Eric Stonestreet as\u00a0Minimus, the flying horse; Sara Ramirez as Queen Miranda, Sofia\u2019s mom; Travis Willingham as King Roland, her stepdad; Darcy Rose Byrnes as Amber, her stepsister; and Jess Harnell as Cedric, the royal sorcerer.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tArial Winter as Sofia the First and Nate Torrence as Pepper, Sofia\u2019s adorable yet mischievous pet puppy-unicorn, a character created for Sofia the First: Royal Magic<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Disney<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tSapire and Gerber say it wasn\u2019t a hard sell to get the original cast on board.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt seemed to me that the the actors who played the characters who were coming back to do their voices had very fond memories of the show, and were both surprised and elated to be able to do it again,\u201d Gerber says. There was some concern that perhaps the cast who\u2019d been kids during the first run might not be able to still do the voices given they\u2019re now grown-ups, but \u201conce we realized they could still do their character voice, everyone has been so happy to be part of it. It\u2019s been like a reunion, like a family reunion, of all these really talented actors and actresses who\u2019ve grown up, and it\u2019s nice to see them again so many years later. \u2026 Every single one of them \u2014 it was like they never stopped doing the character. They just picked up right where they left off.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tWinter says she found out about the sequel through a director with whom she\u2019d worked on Sofia the First. \u201cAt the time, it was really just like a loose thought,\u201d she says. \u201cNobody had contacted me because it wasn\u2019t like set in stone.\u201d After Winter got the call, and the did a test for the network, she learned it was getting picked up. \u201cI just was so excited because it was always one of my favorite projects I had ever worked on,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd there\u2019s nothing that feels more positive and special than spending like some time voicing such a wonderful character and knowing the impact it\u2019s going to have.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tOnce she was back in the booth, she was nervous but quickly slipped back into character. \u201cI had kept Sofia alive, for myself, all of these years, because I would make voice memos for people\u2019s kids or their cousin or little sister, little brother, anyone who would tell me that like they loved the show,\u201d she says, sharing that she\u2019d pretend to be calling these kids asking if they wanted to have a playdate in Enchancia, for example.<\/p>\n \n\tWinter has no hesitation when asked how long she could continue voicing Sofia: \u201cI will play her as long as they let me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tOne of the most memorable parts of the show has always been the music \u2014 from the catchy theme song to the songs featured in each episode.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThat\u2019s where songwriters John Kavanaugh, Keith Harrison Dworkin and Matthew Tishler come in. Kavanaugh also was part of the original series, earning a Daytime Emmy for his work. The songs are \u201calways intrinsic to moving the story forward,\u201d Kavanaugh says. It\u2019s also important that they appeal to both the target kids demo and their parents by not \u201cdumbing it down,\u201d he adds. <\/p>\n \n\tThe new iteration will feature two 11-minute stories, vs. the 22-minute format of the original. Sapire notes that this format is pretty standard in preschool storytelling. But there\u2019s also the option to tell longer stories in the future, including a holiday special or bigger tentpole episodes.<\/p>\n \n\tTwice the story lines in each episode also means twice the original songs. Fortunately for Kavanaugh, Dworkin and Tishler were brought on board to help with the extra lift. (\u201cWe\u2019re working with three different songwriters rather than just one, because I don\u2019t know how they\u2019d sleep if we were working with just one,\u201d Gerber jokes.) Each 11-minute segment will feature a brand-new song. \u201cThere is no downtime,\u201d says Kavanaugh. \u201cWe get a song, we start working on it, we demo it, we send it in.\u201d The song gets approved, or not, and then tweaking is done if needed, before the cast records it. Meanwhile, another song is already headed their way. \u201cIt\u2019s a constant merry-go-round,\u201d adds Dworkin, who is also the songwriter on Disney Jr.\u2019s SuperKitties.<\/em><\/p>\n \n\tThey credit Gerber with having a clear vision for the show for helping them nail down the tunes. Gerber and the show\u2019s writers send lyrics to Kavanaugh, Dworkin and Tishler, who set about making sure the melodies match the character and the tone of the story. They are able to make suggestions or changes to the lyrics to fit the melody. \u201cIt became very clear to me early on that the success of Sofia is because of Craig\u2019s clarity as a creator,\u201d Dworkin says. \u201cHe really cares, he comes from his heart, he\u2019s got a great brain, and it all just makes sense right out of the gate, and that\u2019s not always the case across all projects. I can be pretty aggressive with how I rewrite the lyrics, and the grace that Craig and the other lyricists have given me has been really great. \u2026 In this line of work, confusing is the enemy, and there\u2019s never any confusion with Craig.\u201d Agrees Kavanaugh: \u201cHe\u2019s very collaborative, and he knows what he wants.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tKavanaugh also wrote the theme song along with Gerber and updated the tune for the new iteration. (Hear the new version in the video below.)<\/p>\n \n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
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