The actress confirms she’s back as Galleria and producing the film, passing the Cheetah Girls torch to a new cast.
Raven Symoné has confirmed she’s stepping back into Galleria’s shoes for The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen, a fourth installment in the franchise that made her a household name more than two decades ago. Disney greenlit the project this week, and Symoné is attached not just as the film’s lead but as an executive producer alongside Debra Martin Chase, who has shepherded the series since its start in 2003.
Symoné’s involvement carries weight for a franchise that hasn’t produced a new film since 2008. She appeared in the original Cheetah Girls and its 2006 sequel before stepping away from One World to pursue a solo career, so her return marks the first time she’s played Galleria on screen in roughly twenty years.
A reunion with her original castmates
Symoné isn’t coming back alone. Adrienne Bailon returns as Chanel, and Sabrina Bryan will make a special appearance as Dorinda, meaning three of the four original group members are back for this installment. Kiely Williams, who played Aqua, is not attached to the project, and no reason has been given for her absence. Lynn Whitfield and Lori Alter also return as Dorothea and Juanita, the mother figures who anchored much of the original trilogy’s family dynamic.
Filming begins this month in South Africa, with the movie set to premiere on Disney Channel and stream on Disney+ afterward.
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Passing the torch to a new cast
The film centers on Galleria and Chanel bringing a new group of teenagers into the fold. Leah Sava Jeffries, known for Percy Jackson and the Olympians, plays Galleria’s daughter, Faith. Carmen Sanchez, from Electric Bloom, plays Chanel’s sister, Dior, while Kaileen Chang and Sophie Lennon round out the new group as Ruby and Brooklyn. Newcomer Kamogelo Ramashala, discovered through a South African open casting call, joins as Kendi, and Sophia Bush takes on a supporting role as Jennifré.
According to the film’s plot, Galleria and Chanel travel with the four teens to Africa to volunteer at a wildlife sanctuary, a trip that tests the girls’ friendship before they ultimately claim the Cheetah Girls name for a new generation.
Why this comeback matters
Bille Woodruff, who has directed episodes of Bridgerton, is set to direct and co-produce, working from a script by Kara Holden, Sarah Watson and Deborah Swisher. Bailon also has a co-producer credit on the film, which Disney Kids and Family is producing.
Ayo Davis, president of Disney Kids and Family, tied the announcement to what made the original trilogy connect with audiences, describing the franchise’s themes of friendship and self expression as still relevant to younger viewers today. That framing lines up with Symoné’s own trajectory. She’s spent years returning to Disney Channel properties, including six seasons on Raven’s Home, a spinoff of her earlier series That’s So Raven.
The timing also puts Symoné’s announcement inside a broader wave of Disney Channel revivals. The network is celebrating anniversaries for High School Musical and Hannah Montana this year, alongside new installments of Camp Rock and Descendants. A Worlds Collide Tour pulling talent from several of those franchises is set to return this fall.
For now, no premiere date has been set, but with production starting imminently and Symoné back at the center of it, The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen looks positioned to be one of the year’s most talked about nostalgia plays.
