Maleficent Makes Her Debut in ‘Sofia the First: Royal Magic’ (Exclusive)

Maleficent is making her debut in the Sofia the First franchise.

The iconic Sleeping Beauty villain will appear in the Sofia the First: Royal Magic holiday special, titled “Holiday at Charmswell,” premiering Nov. 26, Thanksgiving Day, on Disney Jr. and Disney+.

In the holiday special, Sofia (voiced by Ariel Winter) and Aurora (aka Sleeping Beauty) work together when the evil Maleficent comes to Charmswell during the festive holiday of Wassailia.

“After years of bringing classic Disney princesses into Sofia’s world, it was exciting to finally incorporate a classic Disney villain,” said Craig Gerber, creator and executive producer of Sofia the First: Royal Magic. “Weaving Maleficent into the story of Miss Nettle, a former villain who now runs Sofia’s school, not only made for an entertaining holiday episode but also enabled us to address what seems to be Maleficent’s core reason for her evil ways — not being invited to a party.”

The cast of Sofia the First: Royal Magic also includes Nate Torrence as Pepper, Sofia’s adorable, yet mischievous pet puppy-unicorn, along with Mela Pietropaolo, Kai Harris and Aaliyah Magcasi as the voices of Layla, Zane and Camila, Sofia’s new school friends.

Since debuting in May, Sofia the First: Royal Magic ranks among the top 10 series for girls 2-5 in views, while driving a 77 percent increase in overall hours watched across the Sofia the First library content, according to Nielsen Media Research.