'Stargirl' Trailer: The Best-Selling Coming-Of-Age Story Is Coming To Disney+
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Not to be confused with the forthcoming DC Universe superhero series of the same name, Stargirl is a new Disney+ original movie adapted from Jerry Spinelli's New York Times best-selling novel. The coming-of-age tale follows an introverted young man named Leo Borlock (Graham Verchere) who likes flying under the radar. But when he meets an outgoing, quirky and confident new girl named Stargirl (Grace VanderWaal), everything changes. See for yourself in the first Stargirl trailer below.
Stargirl Trailer
The trailer arrives on the 16th birthday of Grace VanderWaal, who is playing the title character in her feature film debut. Based on this trailer, this feels like a combination of various family movies about precocious teenagers who appear to be old souls wise beyond their years and the kind of indie movies that have manic pixie dream girls played by the likes of Zooey Deschanel and Natalie Portman.
Honestly, the movie feels a little cheesy in its execution, but there's the potential for something decent here. It also looks like the kind of movie that could help teens who feel like social outcasts come out of their shell and have confidence in themselves, and if this movie helps even one teenager feel a better sense of belonging or gain faith in themselves, then it's absolutely worth it.
Perhaps the most interesting part of this trailer is seeing Giancarlo Esposito in a mentor role instead of threatening to beat the hell out of someone. Meanwhile, the rest of the cast features Karan Brar, Maximiliano Hernandez, and Darby Stanchfield.
Stargirl is directed by Julia Hart from a screenplay she wrote with Jordan Horowitz and Kristin Hahn.
Leo Borlock (Graham Verchere) is an average student at Mica High School. He gets decent grades, is a member of the school's marching band and has always been content flying under the radar. But all that changes when he meets Stargirl Caraway (Grace VanderWaal), a confident and colorful new student with a penchant for the ukulele, who stands out in a crowd. She is kind, finds magic in the mundane and touches the lives of others with the simplest of gestures. Her eccentricities and infectious personality charm Leo and the student body, and she quickly goes from being ignored and ridiculed to accepted and praised, then back again, sending Leo on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
Stargirl premieres exclusively on Disney+ on March 13, 2020.