Chosen Jacobs and Lexi Underwood star in the upcoming adaptation of the classic 'Cinderella' fairy tale.
Disney+'s Sneakerella puts a modern spin on the classic Cinderella fairy tale, and only ET exclusively premieres the film's official trailer.
The upcoming movie, set in the avant-garde street/sneaker culture of New York City, follows El (Chosen Jacobs), an aspiring designer from Queens who works as a stock boy in the shoe store once owned by his late mother. With an overburdened stepfather and two mean-spirited stepbrothers coming between any opportunity that comes his way, a chance meeting with Kira King (Lexi Underwood), the daughter of former NBA star/sneaker tycoon Darius King (John Salley), may be the spark that ignites El as they bond over their shared love of sneakers. With help from his best friend and some "fairy godfather" magic, El finds the courage to pursue his dream.
"I feel like for any actor, this is a dream role. This is a role that you only could dream about as a kid," Jacobs tells ET. "To not only be doing a Cinderella film, which is such a classic, and be part of the Disney family, but also to be able to put a really cool spin on it. And as a kid who grew up loving R&B and hip-hop, to be able to introduce that into a classic film like Cinderella, it's everything I could ask for. I was able to use every tool in the toolshed. Between acting and dancing and music, it was everything that I could have imagined and more."
Jacobs, whose credits include God Friended Me, Hawaii Five-0 and Castle Rock, also spoke about what immediately drew him to El.
"El has a heart of gold. El is the best friend anybody could ask for, and that's something I definitely strive to be," Jacobs says of his character. "I think everyone strives to be a little bit more like El. No matter the cards that life has dealt him, with the passing of his mother and things don't always seem to work out for him, he always finds a way to beat the odds and to keep a smile on his face and to put others in front of himself. I love the selflessness of El and I try to be like that in real life. He's such a cool guy -- a guy who's not afraid to be himself, humble. And his best friend, Sami, helps him to come out of his shell from time to time. But just a really cool guy. Really sweet."
The actor opened up about sharing the screen with Underwood and Salley, saying it was "phenomenal" getting "to work with such cool people."
Filmed back in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, Jacobs recalled being in a bubble with his co-stars for the entirety of the shoot, which helped create a family environment on set. "Those were the only people I had contact with for those four months," he reflected. "It really became a family even more so than would normally happened during a film. We all lean on each other and we were able to get this project into a beautiful space."
Jacobs praised Underwood, calling her "a great scene partner," and Salley, who he considered "one of the funniest men on Earth." "Every take, I'm almost ruining it because he makes you laugh in the take, because it's just so funny and [he's] just such a great teammate," he said, revealing that the real "sneakerhead" amongst the cast is Underwood, whom he said has a "tough" collection. "She would put me the shame on that one!"
As for what he hopes viewers take away when they tune in to Sneakerella, it's that love comes in all forms.
"This film has something for everyone because it's all about love. Whether it be young love between El and Kira, or even more importantly finding love for yourself," he said. "El's whole journey is discovering how to love his differences. And I feel like in this world, the most beautiful thing is to love each other for the differences that make us unique. So no matter what age you are, what race, what religion, what anything you are, it just spreads a message of love and positivity. I feel like that's something that we could all use."
Sneakerella drops Friday, May 13 on Disney+.
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