Disney Junior has ordered a second season of not-so-scary preschool series Vampirina, which hit a ratings high with its October 1 simulcast premiere on Disney Channel and Disney Junior last year. Created by Chris Nee (Doc McStuffins), the show features the voices of Lauren Graham, James Van Der Beek and Isabella Crovetti as a family of friendly vampires who have relocated from Transylvania to Pennsylvania. The announcement was made by the channel’s SVP of Original Programming, Joe D’Ambrosia.
“Vampirina’s relatable experience of a young girl trying to adapt and blend in with her new schoolmates, while also celebrating her own uniqueness, has resonated with our audience of young kids and families,” said D’Ambrosia. “We look forward to sharing more stories about the loveable young Vee, her new friends and her fantastical world of dancing gargoyles, playful ghosts and cuddly werewolves.”
Vampirina airs daily on Disney Channel and Disney Junior, and is available on the DisneyNOW app. The voice cast also features Wanda Sykes, Mitchell Whitfield, Jordan Alexa Davis, ViviAnn Yee, Dee Bradley Baker, Benji Risley, Cree Summer and Ian James Corlett. The show is inspired by Disney Publishing’s kids’ book series Vampirina Ballerina from writer Anne Marie Pace and illustrator LeUyen Pham. Nee and Norton Virgien are executive producers; Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond are series songwriters, and Layla Minoui is the composer. Vampirina is produced by Academy Award-nominated Irish studio Brown Bag Films in association with Disney Junior.
Read more about the series in Ramin Zahed’s article for the November ‘17 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 274).
Since launching, the property has expanded with multiple storybook and early reader titles; comics and a magazine from Disney Publishing Worldwide; a DVD from Walt Disney Studios; and a product line from Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media, which includes the Scare B&B Playset, a popular item during the 2017 holiday season. New products will debut later this spring. Vampirina will also be featured in the upcoming Disney Junior Dance Party On Tour live concert experience launching March 14.
