Eva Longoria Joins ‘Dora the Explorer’ Movie as Dora’s Mother

Eva Longoria joined Paramount‘s live-action Dora The Explorer movie to play Dora’s mother Elana, opposite Isabela Moner.

Longoria’s casting was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter. She joins Moner as Dora, Mickie Moreno as Diego, Madeleine Madden as Sammy, Nicholas Coombe as Randy, Temuera Morrison as Powell and Adriana Barraza as Abuela Valerie.

Production is already underway in Australia, with The Muppets filmmaker James Bobin in the director’s chair. Kristin Burr is the producer.

The film is based on the beloved Nickelodeon show about Dora, the lovable young girl who takes viewers on adventures with her best friends, Diego and the monkey Boots. In the movie, Dora is supposed to go off to school, but after learning that her parents got lost while trying to solve a mystery about the Incas, she joins Boots, Diego and other friends on a journey to find her mom and dad.

The film is produced by Paramount Players, Nickelodeon and Walden Media. It was written by Nicholas Stoller (Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, Storks) and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel (New Girl).

The original series ran from 2000 to 2014, and was created by Chris Gifford, Eric Weiner and Valerie Walsh Valdes.

Moner, 17, was cast as Dora in May. She previously appeared in Transformers: The Last Knight as Izabella, Sicario: Day of the Soldado as Isabel Reyes and starred in 100 Things to Do Before High School.

“I’m honored and excited to bring Dora to life,” Moner said in a statement in May. “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!”

“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,” Paramount Players president Brian Robbins added.

Longoria is best known for starring in ABC’s Desperate Housewives. She recently starred in Empire and Jane The Virgin. Her recent movies include Dog Days, Overboard, Lowriders, Visions and Any Day. She is also a producer on ABC’s upcoming drama Grand Hotel.

Dora The Explorer will be released on Aug. 2, 2019.

Photo credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images