Disney+ is exchanging the legendary crystal glass slipper for fresh kicks in the new original movie Sneakerella.
Celeb Secrets sat down with John Salley, who plays Darius King in the modern day “Cinderella.” Before Salley made his big-screen debut, he dominated the basketball court with the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, and Los Angeles Lakers. When the role of a star athlete and sneaker mogul came across Salley’s desk, the four-time NBA champion couldn’t pass up the opportunity to audition.
“As a former professional basketball player, it doesn’t mean I can’t act in a musical – that’s what this movie shows,” Salley said while pointing out the underlining theme of the family-friendly film. The way Salley fearlessly made a leap to pursue his acting dream, is precisely what the young visionary named El did in the Disney+ original movie.
El (played by Chosen Jacobs) is an aspiring sneaker designer from Queens, New York, who tirelessly works as a stock boy for a shoe store. His late mother once owned the retail shop. However, it is now managed by his mean stepfather and cruel stepbrothers. The toxic environment becomes an obstacle for El, as he is forced to hide his artistic talents from his family.
El’s life quickly changes when he develops a close-knit relationship with Kira King (Lexi Underwood)– the independent daughter of a well-respected hooper, Darius King. After realizing their mutual love for sneakers, sparks begin to fly. Alongside a Fairy Godfather, Kira encourages El to turn his dream into a reality and become a “legit” sneaker designer in the fashion industry.
“This literally takes the original [“Cinderella”] and turns it on its head,” shared Salley. “It’s diverse, a well-constructed script, and greatly directed. I get to some hip-hop and do some battle rapping in it – the musical and the choreography are off the chain. The clothing and coloring are dope. It is a really good movie, there are no lag points,” he added.
Salley continued to mention that the production produced by DJ Carson, Christopher Scott, and directed by Elizabeth Allen – Rosenbaum, is the perfect watch for all ages.
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“You can sit down with your friends and family, and no one would be offended,” he said with a beaming smile. “Your grandmama to your four-year-old niece – everybody’s going to feel good about it. No one’s going to feel left out, and God willing, there will be a lot of women in the room. They are going to feel empowered. This is definitely a female empowerment movie.”
While Disney focused on making “Sneakerella” an inspiring film for females, they also made it a priority to show representation. Salley exclusively told Celeb Secrets what it was like to be involved in a cast that is pushing the entertainment industry along in a positive direction.
“As a Black man, with a black family in this crazy, crazy world, no one even mentioned that I was black in this movie,” he explained. “That’s the difference. It was just a successful family-daughter business, and that is something we hadn’t heard about before. Disney is really making sure and including everybody and giving our children and a better outlook on people that look like me. No more stereotyped and no more being pigeonholed. I think this movie really pushes people, that dreams do come true… but you have to work.”
Sneakerella premiered on May 13, 2022 and you can stream it on Disney+ here. Will you be watching the music-driven Disney+ original? Let us know by leaving a reaction below or by sending us a tweet @celebsecrets.
For more from our interview with John, watch it below:
