Disney came out with some cheetahlicious news on Wednesday (July 8), announcing that a fourth installment in its beloved Cheetah Girls franchise is officially in the works — featuring appearances from Raven-Symoné and other original cast members.
The project, titled The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen, is moving forward with a cast that includes Raven and Adrienne Bailon, who will reprise their respective roles as Galleria and Chanel. Sabrina Bryan will also return with a special appearance as Dorinda, according to Variety, while Lynn Whitfield and Lori Alter are set to come back as Dorothea and Juanita.
Kiely Williams, who portrayed Aqua in the first three Cheetah Girls films, is apparently not involved in the fourth movie at this time, but it will feature a brand-new band of fabulous ladies comprised of Percy Jackson and the Olympians star Leah Sava’ Jeffries, Carmen Sanchez, Kaileen Chang and Sophie Lennon.
“The story picks up when Cheetah Girls Galleria and Chanel, alongside Galleria’s daughter Faith and her three friends, travel to Africa to volunteer at a wildlife sanctuary,” a description reads. “Along the way, these four teen girls 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.”
Sharing a video of herself walking around in different locations, including an open landscape with a real-life cheetah lounging calmly next to her, Raven wrote, “It’s happening, and it’s CHEETAHLISHIOUS!”
The first Cheetah Girls film premiered on Disney Chanel in 2003, spawning major success for the company and bolstering its presence in the music industry. Cheetah Girls 2 — the sequel that premiered in 2006 — still has one of the most successful TV soundtracks on the Billboard charts to date, spending nine weeks at No. 1 on Top Soundtracks and reaching No. 5 on the Billboard 200.
The Cheetah Girls: One World arrived two years after that, although Raven did not appear in it — making her return in Next Gen all the more special.
See Disney’s announcement and Raven’s post below.
