‘Diary of a Future President’: Gina Rodriguez’s Disney+ Series Is Greenlit for Season 2
The success of the Latinx-led show comes right as Pop TV wrapped up the first half of the reboot "One Day at a Time."
by Kristen LopezThe future for Latino voices in mainstream entertainment looks to be a little brighter with the announcement that the Disney+ family series “Diary of a Future President” has been greenlit for a second season.
The series, created by Ilana Peña, originally premiered in January of this year and tells the story of Elena Cañero-Reed (played by newcomer Tess Romero) as she deals with family drama and school, with the audience knowing she will one day become President of the United States. “Jane the Virgin” actress Gina Rodriguez plays an older and Presidential Elena; Rodriguez also acts as executive producer through her production company, I Can and I Will.
“Diary of a Future President” lacks the name recognition of the more popular Disney+ series “The Mandalorian,” but it has garnered a legion of devout fans with many comparing it to Disney’s early-2000s series “Lizzie McGuire.” And with “Lizzie McGuire’s” spin-off series dead in the water with the streaming company, this renewal certainly fills the void.
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“We’re thrilled to partner with Disney+ on a series that showcases strong women both in front of, and behind the camera. They’ve been incredible champions of the show from day one,” said David Stapf, president, CBS Television Studios which also helps produce the series in a statement. “Gina’s ability to shepherd projects with new and diverse voices, combined with Ilana’s effortless blend of comedy and drama with humor and sensitivity bring this wonderful coming-of-age story to life.”
Rodriguez has been a vocal proponent of the need for more Latino voices on-screen and behind the camera, calling the lack of it “heartbreaking and dehumanizing.” The success of “Diary of a Future President” comes right as Pop TV wrapped up the first half of the reboot “One Day at a Time,” which made the leap from its original home at Netflix.
Unfortunately, there’s still far more work to be done. CBS made “Jane the Virgin” alumnus Jaime Camil their first Latino lead of a comedy in nearly 70 years with his sitcom “Broke,” though the show has been canceled before the conclusion of its first season.
It’s unclear right now when “Diary of a Future President” Season 2 will go into production, considering Disney+ has shut down all their series currently filming due to COVID-19. Either way, audiences are ready to follow on her future presidential journey whenever that happens.