In a statement to Collider, a Paramount spokesperson confirmed Moreno’s exit, saying “Micke left the production for personal reasons.” A representative for Moreno did not respond to a request for comment.
Isabela Moner (100 Things to Do Before High School, Legends of the Hidden Temple, Sicario: Day of the Soldado) will star as the titular teen, who heads out on an adventure with her best friend, Boots the monkey, and her cousin Diego. Moner is no stranger to working with Wahlbergs, having starred alongside Mark Wahlberg in Transformers: The Last Knight and Instant Family, the latter of which hits theaters on Friday.
As for Dora the Explorer, 11-time Emmy and four-time BAFTA nominee director James Bobin (Alice Through the Looking Glass) has assembled a cast of diverse superstars such as Eva Longoria and Michael Peña, who play the parents of the titular character; Eugenio Derbez (Overboard, Instructions Not Included; How to Be A Latin Lover), who plays Alejandro, a mysterious jungle inhabitant who tries to protect the teenagers from the marauders; Nicholas Coombe (Spy Kids: Mission Control, Midnight Sun) as Randy, a fellow high schooler who develops an immediate crush on Dora; Madeleine Madden (Picnic at Hanging Rock, Tidelands) as the school’s snooty class president, Sammy; and Academy Award nominee Adriana Barraza (Babel, Amores Perros, Thor, The 33) as Dora’s grandma, Abuelita Valerie, Temuera Morrison (Green Lantern, Moana), who will play the role of Powell; Q’orianka Kilcher (The Alienist), who will play Inca Princess Kawillaka; and Madelyn Miranda, who portrays Young Dora.
Nicholas Stoller and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel wrote the script, and Walden Media is co-financing and co-producing the film with Paramount, which is slated to release Dora the Explorer on Aug. 2, 2019.
Dora the Explorer is based on the popular Nickelodeon children’s show, and Paramount Players has a mandate to leverage Viacom-owned properties for the big screen treatment. The studio is also developing a feature adaptation of the beloved Nick series Are You Afraid of the Dark?.
Per the studio, the movie will tell the story of Dora, a girl who has spent most of her life exploring the jungle with her parents, but now must navigate her most dangerous adventure yet: high school. Always the explorer, Dora quickly finds herself leading Boots (her best friend, a monkey), Diego, and a rag tag group of teens on a live-action adventure to save her parents and solve the impossible mystery behind a lost Inca civilization.
Dora the Explorer is produced by Christopher Robin producer Kristin Burr, who is joined by longtime Bobin associate, executive producer John G. Scotti (The Muppets, Muppets Most Wanted, Alice Through the Looking Glass) as well as executive producers Julia Pistor (The Spiderwick Chronicles, A Series of Unfortunate Events) and Eugenio Derbez.
The production marks the lovable Latina character’s big screen debut (and first live-action adaptation on any platform) after fourteen seasons (2000-2014) and 172 episodes on Nickelodeon.
The character of Diego is an important one within the Dora the Explorer universe, having received his own animated TV spinoff Go, Diego, Go! on Nickelodeon. Wahlberg, who is half-Dominican, was always a favorite for the role of Diego, so when Moreno had to leave the project in a hurry, Paramount was quick to reach out to the young actor.
Like his uncle Mark before him, Wahlberg is a Calvin Klein model who recently co-starred in the indie action movie Future World, co-directed by James Franco, who also stars. The 22-year-old Boston native has spent the past several years paying his dues in the industry, honing his chops in short films and taking on small roles on TV shows like HBO’s Ballers and Starz’s Counterpart. Wahlberg is also slated to star in the indie drama Reefa, a true story about a young artist named Israel “Reefa” Hernandez who was reportedly killed by police officers for spray painting an abandoned building. The role of Diego is a major coup for Wahlberg, who is represented by Innovative Artists, Leverage Management and attorney Jonathan Sauer.
Dora the Explorer is a Paramount Players and Nickelodeon production in association with Walden Media.
More Nick: First Look at Isabela Moner in Paramount's 'Dora the Explorer' Movie!
Additional source: Vital Thrills.
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