County Down teenager Sophie Lennon is one of four new Cheetah Girls
Things are about to get a lot more Cheetahlicious.
For millions of Disney fans, that phrase instantly conjures memories of one of the biggest musical franchises of the 2000s.
Now, more than 20 years after The Cheetah Girls first appeared on screens, the beloved musical film is making a comeback with a new generation ready to perform with confidence.
Among the new cast is a teenager whose primary concern just weeks ago was preparing for her GCSE exams.
Sophie Lennon, from Mayobridge, County Down, said her "life has changed overnight" since receiving the news she "always dreamed of".
However, securing the role was highly competitive.
She was selected from 300,000 teenagers who auditioned worldwide, earning one of the four coveted roles.
Her self-tape audition had to demonstrate her skills in singing, dancing, and acting.
Fortunately, the 16-year-old is experienced in the spotlight, having appeared on Britain's Got Talent and America's Got Talent, performed on the West End, and represented Ireland at the 2022 Junior Eurovision Song Contest.
But coming from Northern Ireland, Sophie understood she was an unexpected choice for a role traditionally associated with American performers.
"I genuinely thought I had no chance," she said.
"So when I got the callback about a week later, I was completely shocked."
The franchise initially considered a Northern Irish accent for her character Brooklyn, but later the character was rewritten as Irish-American.
Sophie has been working with a dialect coach to perfect the accent and admitted it was "easy to pick up."
"I've always been quite good at accents and voices.
It comes from watching a lot of American shows growing up, where I would copy the things they said and did."
The life-changing phone call came just days before her GCSE exams began.
"I don't think I've ever cried so hard in my whole life. I actually lost my voice for a week.
I was jumping for joy. I just couldn't believe it."
The biggest challenge was keeping the news secret.
A non-disclosure agreement prevented her from telling even her closest friends while preparing for one of the most significant moments of her life.
"I just thought, there's no way this is happening because I'm just a typical Irish girl, and then suddenly I'm flying to LA for a screen test in a Disney movie," she said.
"I go to school, I hang out with my friends and my life has just completely changed overnight."
Living the Disney dream
Sophie Lennon will portray Brooklyn in the upcoming Disney franchise installment.
Cape Town, South Africa, far from rural Northern Ireland, is where Sophie will spend the next four months preparing for filming.
Her day starts at seven in the morning and includes 12 hours packed with choreography rehearsals, studio recordings, script work, costume fittings, and guitar lessons.
She is enjoying every moment.
"We've already had a table read, loads of cast dinners and the hair and makeup trials were my favourite.
Every morning I wake up thinking, 'Oh my goodness, this is so insane'."
What is The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen about?
The new Cheetah Girls cast includes Leah Sava Jeffries, Carmen Sanchez, Kaileen Chang, and Sophie Lennon.
The original 2003 film followed four teenage girls from New York who formed a girl group and became stars. Its success led to two sequels, released in 2006 and 2008.
More than two decades later, the franchise returns with The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen, with Lennon starring as Brooklyn alongside fellow young leads Leah Sava Jeffries, Carmen Sanchez, and Kaileen Chang.
The teenagers travel to Africa to volunteer at a wildlife sanctuary, where they find their voices and perform as the new Cheetah Girls.
Sophie plays Brooklyn, an ambitious teenager from a musical family who dreams of success, a character she said she "immediately connected" with.
"She's determined and she never gives up.
She's all about supporting her girls. I feel like we're really similar."
'I can't wait to make more music'
In addition to landing a Disney film role, Sophie has already received four record deal offers from major labels.
Those discussions are on hold while filming continues, but music remains a significant part of her future.
"Now I've realised everything is possible.
If you want something badly enough, if you work hard enough, and if you never give up, you really can get there."
