The choice between blending in and standing out can feel like a major conundrum for any high school student. But for Stargirl, it’s all she knows. The first official trailer for Disney+’s latest feature length film features America’s Got Talent breakout Grace VanderWaal as the titular Stargirl. Wielding her ukulele like a magic wand, Stargirl rocks the world of Leo Borlock, a shy student who chooses to be like everyone else rather than embrace nonconformity. Through their adventures in their Arizona small town, Stargirl helps to ignite the extraordinary side of Leo that he has been hiding from the universe.
For intrigued audiences, Stargirl‘s lead may look — and sound — a bit familiar. Grace memorably won the eleventh season of America’s Got Talent, singing and performing songs on her ukulele week in and week out for a live audience and judges. After her huge win, the then-preteen went on to perform on various stages, and even brought Grammy winner Kelly Clarkson to tears when she performed at the 2017 Billboard Women in Music event. With her feature length debut, fans of the young starlet can look forward to hearing Grace’s unique voice again in the upcoming film!
For many admirers of the source material, seeing Stargirl come to life is a thrilling vision, realized by the project’s talented director Julia Hart. The film is based on the young adult novel by author Jerry Spinelli. Published in 2000, Stargirl was a New York Times Bestseller and was taught in a number of school’s language arts and English curriculum. This will be the novel’s first adaptation to the screen.
Along with Grace, Stargirl also stars Graham Verchere, Karan Brar, Shelby Simmons, Darby Stanchfield, and Giancarlo Esposito. The film’s director, Julia Hart, is best known for her 2016 feature Miss Stevens starring Timothee Chalamet and her 2018 film Fast Color with Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Mark your calendars and breakout your ukuleles, Stargirl debuts on Disney+ March 13!