Leah Sava’ Jeffries is heading to Africa for her next project.
The Percy Jackson and the Olympians star will play Faith, the daughter of Galleria, in The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen, which has been greenlit for Disney Channel and Disney+.
Jeffries joins a cast that includes both familiar faces and new talent. Raven-Symoné returns as Galleria and serves as an executive producer alongside Debra Martin Chase, who produced all three of the original The Cheetah Girls films. Adrienne Bailon reprises her role as Chanel and also serves as a co-producer. Bille Woodruff directs and co-produces the movie.
Lynn Whitfield reprises her role as Dorothea, while Lori Alter returns as Juanita. Sabrina Bryan will make a special appearance as Dorinda, and Sophia Bush joins the cast in a supporting role as Jennifré.
Jeffries leads the new generation of Cheetah Girls alongside Carmen Sanchez of Electric Bloom, who plays Chanel’s sister, Dior. Kaileen Chang stars as Ruby, Sophie Lennon plays Brooklyn, and South African newcomer Kamogelo Ramashala rounds out the cast as Kendi.
The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen follows Galleria and Chanel as they travel to Africa with Faith and her three friends for a volunteer trip at a wildlife sanctuary. When the preserve is threatened, the girls must work together to protect it before becoming the next generation of Cheetah Girls.
Since debuting in 2003, The Cheetah Girls has become one of Disney Channel’s most successful movie franchises. The original film was the highest-rated movie on broadcast or cable television at the time of its premiere. The Cheetah Girls 2 followed with record-setting ratings in 2006, and The Cheetah Girls: One World continued the franchise’s success when it debuted in 2008.
A release date for The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen has not yet been announced. Filming begins in South Africa this month.
