Christmas may be months away but Disney has announced what could be considered an early yuletide gift for America with a strong Latino flavor. The company announced the Disney Channel Original Movie Christmas Again, a heartwarming family dramedy starring Disney fan-favorite Scarlett Estevez, will premiere Dec. 3.
Directed by Paul Fickman, who has a long string of comedies and family films under his belt such as Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 and Race to Witch Mountain, the new Disney movie is a story about a Latino blended family that thankfully also features several talents with Spanish-language surnames in prominent roles.
Several Latino actors stand out in the Disney movie. In addition to Estevez (Bunk’d, Daddy’s Home) also featured are Alexis Carra (Grey’s Anatomy), Ashlyn Jade Lopez (The Vampire Diaries), Priscilla Lopez (Maid in Manhattan) and newcomer Jacob F. Perez.
Being a mixed family, Christmas Again also stars Daniel Sunjata (One for the Money), Beth Lacke (Mr. 3000) and Gary Anthony Williams (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows). Italian-American Tony Amendola (Annabelle) plays a Latino abuelo.
Estevez’s leading character is Rowena “Ro,” an energetic teen experiencing a dull Christmas. Her parents’ recent divorce has upended her life and wishes things to go back to the way they were. Her dad (Sunjata) has a new girlfriend (Lacke) and son, whom she wants out of the picture. Ro wants their family traditions to remain the same. After a disappointing celebration with her family, including her sister Gabriela “Gabby” (Ashlyn Jade Lopez), Abuela Sofia (Priscilla Lopez) and abuelo Hector (Amendola), the teen girl makes a wish to a neighborhood Santa (Williams) for a “do-over” and unexpectedly finds herself reliving Christmas day over again and again. To break the magical loop, Ro must learn to appreciate her loving family as it is and the true meaning of Christmas.
Thirteen-year-old Cuban-American Estevez started acting at age 3 in TV commercials and a couple of years later shot her first feature film, And Then There Was You, starring Garcelle Beauvais. She co-starred in the Nickelodeon movie The Massively Mixed-Up Middle School Mystery and was a supporting lead in the films Daddy’s Home and Daddy’s Home 2 playing the daughter of Mark Wahlberg. She is currently a series regular as Trixie Espinoza on Fox’s Lucifer. Currently the star of Disney’s Bunk’d, she will co-star also in the Disney upcoming lucha libre superhero series Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion.
Carra, who is of Spanish, Cuban and Argentine descent, started as a series regular in the short-lived ABC series Mixology. Her credits include Grey’s Anatomy, Castle, The Mentalist and Bones. A trained ballet dancer since the age of two, she has performed on Broadway and is a choreographer for film and TV projects.
Up-and-coming actress Ashlyn Jade Lopez was only age 9 when she starred as young Nadia in The Vampire Diaries series. Her film and TV credits include Lifetime’s movie The Wrong House and the Netflix film Beneath the Leaves.
With a long career that included a child role in the Academy Award-winning 1961 film West Side Story, Priscilla Lopez may be best known for her work on the 2002 rom-com Maid in Manhattan alongside Jennifer Lopez, playing the pop singer’s lead character. Priscilla Lopez has also appeared in the comedy Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise and Sleeping With the Fishes, the latter of which won her an Imagen Award nom for Best Actress/Supporting Actress.
Christmas Again marks the feature film debut for newcomer child actor Jacob F. Perez. He appeared in the Silver Telly Award-winning short The Audition, a drama written and starred by Isaías Pérez about a Latino actor who doesn’t fit the Hollywood stereotype and goes to great lengths to make casting directors notice his talent. Jacob was also featured in the Fox series Proven Innocent.
Christmas Again was filmed in Chicago. Director Fickman also executive produces with long-time producing partner Betsy Sullenger, both of whom worked together in the Disney Channel hit series Liv & Maddie. Christmas Again was written by Doan La (Black Friday).
Featured Photo: Disney’s Christmas Again stars Scarlett Estevez as Rowena “Ro”. (Credit: Disney/Ed Herrera)
