Disney’s announcement of a fourth Cheetah Girls film, The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen, quickly created a buzz on social media.
While some are delighted to get their millennial-nostalgic show back after 20 years, others feel that the cast is changing the franchise’s original voice.
Fans say the new Cheetah Girls: Next Gen lineup changes the franchise’s identity, fueling a growing debate over representation
The criticism centers around whitewashing the original cast, which included three black and one white woman, whereas the current lineup is targeting a much younger cast, less representative of the franchise’s original identity.
According to Blast, Raven-Symoné and Adrienne Bailon are set to return, with Sabrina Bryan making a special appearance. Lynn Whitfield and Lori Alter are also back as the characters’ mothers, while the new cast includes Leah Sava Jeffries, Carmen Sanchez, Kaileen Chang, Sophie Lennon, and Kamogelo Ramashala.
The story follows Galleria and Chanel as they travel to Africa to volunteer at a wildlife sanctuary, where the younger characters discover the “true Cheetah spirit” and eventually become the new Cheetah Girls.
However, the cast did not sit well with many. One user wrote on Instagram, “If you read the books, them girls [are] BLACK. Don’t p-ss me off.” Another said, “Nope. Keep black things blackly black.” A third posted, “It’s a book about black girls by a black author. It really is that deep.” Another commenter took a broader view, saying, “We don’t need the iconic things from previous generations to be remade for the current generation.”
Disney Kids & Family president Ayo Davis defended the franchise by saying it has always been about “friendship, music, and empowering young people to use their voice.” Symoné also teased the project on Instagram, writing, “It’s happening, and it’s CHEETAHLICIOUS!”
The world may not be ready to accept a wild refocusing of the look-and-feel of their favourite millennial show.
DO YOU THINK THE CURRENT LINE-UP IS TOO NEXT-GEN?
