The Live-Action 'Dora The Explorer' Movie Comes To Life With The First Look At Dora

If your child has loved watching Dora the Explorer the same way that you marathon-watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians, it's safe to say they will be begging you to take them to see the live-action Dora the Explorer movie. It won't hit theaters until next year, but people are already buzzing to know more details about who plays Dora in the live-action Dora the Explorer film. Recently, a photo of the actress who is playing the titular Dora dressed in costume hit the internet, and fans are getting so excited to see her portrayal of the young explorer.

Actress Isabela Moner will play Dora in the movie, which will hit theaters on Aug. 2, 2019, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Moner, 17, is best known for playing Izabella in 2017's Transformers: The Last Knight, and CJ Martin in the Nickelodeon show 100 Things to Do Before High School, according to her IMDb page.

On Friday, Moner posted an awesome photo of herself in costume as Dora on her Instagram. "So excited to show you the First Look of me as #DoraTheExplorer," she captioned the shot. The costumer designer totally nailed Dora's outfit by giving it a few modern updates — the pink shirt now has a few buttons, the purple backpack has some brown on the straps, the shorts have some cute pleats and pockets, and the frilly yellow socks are now frill free.

The outfit tweaks totally make sense, considering cartoon Dora's age (7) and Moner's age (17). In the movie, viewers will catch up with a teenaged Dora who is living with her cousin Diego in "the city," according to The Hollywood Reporter. Dora, who grew up in the jungle, will simultaneously navigate high school and investigate the mystery of a lost Inca civilization in the film, as People reported.

Moner's involvement in Dora the Explorer was announced this past May. “I’m honored and excited to bring Dora to life," Moner said in a statement when her casting was revealed, as Deadine reported. "I grew up watching the show, and for me, especially as a Latina, Dora was an amazing role model – she is a strong, adventurous and fun-loving girl. I can’t wait to put on the backpack and begin her next adventure!”

A few weeks later, Moner further expressed her joy about bringing a Latina character to the big screen. "We don’t have Latina heroines in theaters; I haven't seen Marvel doing it," she told USA Today in June. "I'm excited to play that for young audiences."

Brian Robbins, president of Paramount Players (the studio distributing the film), is so excited to have found Moner to fill Dora's shoes. When she was cast, he said in a statement published by Entertainment Weekly:

We are thrilled to have found our Dora in Isabela ... Dora has long been a celebrated, strong heroine in animated television, and like Dora, Isabela has an incredible spirit and is an advocate for positive values. With our partners at Nickelodeon, we look forward to continuing Dora’s story for generations to come.

As Moner mentioned, Dora is an important role model for Latinx children. The animated Dora the Explorer occasionally taught viewers Spanish words and phrases, which allowed many children to see their own culture reflected on screen, and introduced many other children to a new language and culture. All that will only be amplified when the movie hits the silver screen, as many more children will be get to meet Dora, Diego, Backpack, Boots, Swiper, and the rest of the gang. So grab your backpack, let's go, jump in, vámanos — a la cine!