Disney’s Groundbreaking ‘The Proud Family’ Returns With Stop-Motion Holiday Special

More than two decades after Bruce W. Smith’s The Proud Family broke new ground for Black representation in American television animation, the Proud family remains one of the most relevant and influential families on TV, and will now return for a stop-motion holiday special featuring an impressive lineup of guest stars.

A Proud Family Wizmas premieres November 14 on Disney+, with Anderson .Paak, Gabrielle Union, Lil Rel Howery, JB Smoove, Karlous Miller, Tone Loc, Earthquake, Luenell, and Affion Crockett joining the cast.

The song-filled special follows Penny Proud as she accidentally destroys Christmas and reluctantly sets out to save the holiday for the children of Emilyville and the rest of the world.

When The Proud Family debuted on Disney Channel in 2001, it was among the first American animated series centered on a Black family to reach a mainstream children’s audience. The show helped expand whose stories were being told in children’s animation, tackling race, identity, class, and family dynamics while maintaining one of the sharpest and funniest comedic sensibilities in kids’ TV. Its cultural significance has endured for generations, and Disney revived the franchise in 2022 as The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.

Smith returns to direct the holiday special alongside co-director David Brooks and Portland-based stop-motion studio HouseSpecial. Executive producer Ralph Farquhar wrote the special, while composer Kurt Farquhar contributed six original songs.

Original voice stars Kyla Pratt, Tommy Davidson, Paula Jai Parker, and JoMarie Payton also return.