She will be starring alongside John Sallet and Chosen Jacobs
Lexi Underwood displayed her acting skills as a newcomer in Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere. Her performance as Kerry Washington’s daughter won her a role in an upcoming Disney production.
Underwood will be starring as a modern day Cinderella in the movie’s pop/hip-hop adaptation called Sneakerella, as reported by Deadline. NBA player-turned actor John Salley will be playing the 17-year-old’s father who is a sneaker tycoon, and her other costar will be Chosen Jacobs, known for his role in Hawaii Five-0 and It.
The movie setting
As per a statement by Disney, the movie will be taking place in New York and will be adapting a few magical elements from the classic Cinderella story, and mix it up with some “I credible music and gravity-defying choreography.”
The story follows El (Jacobs) who is an aspiring sneaker designer from Queens who works as a stock boy in a shoe store that was once his late mother’s property. He hides his dreams and talent from his overburdened stepfather and his stepbrothers, who never misses a chance to bully him. Things change when he meets the fiercely independent Kira King (Underwood), who is the daughter of a legendary basketball player and sneaker tycoon (Salley). The two become close friends over their shared interest for sneakers, and with King’s support and a dash of Fairy Godfather magic, El works toward his dream of becoming a ‘legit’ sneaker designer.
Underwood shared the news of her new role on Twitter, saying that Disney has another Black princess. This comes after Yara Shahidi from Black-ish got casted as Tinkerbell in Disney’s live-action Peter Pan and Halle Bailey from the sister singing group Chloe x Halle got casted as Ariel in the live-action The Little Mermaid.