Dora the Explorer is going on a new adventure in the live-action Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado film. She is once again joined by her cousin Diego (Jacob Rodriguez) as they search for a legendary treasure. Samantha Lorraine (The Walking Dead: World Beyond) stars as the new Dora, who was previously portrayed by Isabela Merced (Superman, The Last of Us) in Dora and the Lost City of Gold. And then there’s a group of mercenaries on the hunt for the treasure as well, but Dora and Diego will have help from Mariana Garzon Toro as Naiya and Acston Luca Porto as her brother Sonny.

The Cast’s Personal Sol Dorado

“Honestly, this project is the treasure,” Rodriguez replies to Nerd Reactor about what his Sol Dorado was. “Like this is the best project I could have asked for, truly. We had such great producers, such a great cast, such a great crew, writers, everyone was so amazing. And truly, we got to do things that we have never done before. We got to hold capybaras, got to play with some snakes, got to do crazy things with crazy animals, got to be in a jungle, see some immaculate rivers and monkeys, and whatever it may be. It was just truly, truly a blessing to be a part of this project.”

“My personal treasure was getting to know this cast,” Lorraine said. “I mean, they’re like my family. Shooting with a Latin crew, and Mariana’s been saying it, but being able to speak Spanish with them and just feel more immersed in our Latin culture, it was such a special thing. I grew up in Miami. Of course that’s a lot of Latin culture there. But seeing it firsthand is an experience like no other.

“And then Sol Dorado to me and Dora, I feel like we’re kind of similar in that way of like Sol Dorado, the golden sun. That wish for me is that kids and families and people continue to have curiosity in life and to continue asking questions, continue with that thirst for knowledge, to just embrace each other, be empathetic and care for each other and lend a shoulder when someone needs to cry or a hug or a laugh when someone needs it. It is so important, and I think this movie hits all those marks.”

Lorraine’s Love for The Last of Us

With Isabela Merced portraying Dina in The Last of Us on HBO, it’s very fitting that Lorraine enjoys playing the video game version.

“I love playing video games, so I got a few,” Lorraine said about her favorite video games. “Obviously, The Last of Us. I played like the original two games when they first came out. The second game I played in like two days. I was very, very young to be playing that, watching all the cutscenes, playing all the video games. I’m like, ‘Yeah, Ellie!’ As a child playing these video games, I also love the Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West series. So, so good. When you turn off the light and you have to run back to your room and you’re like scared of something because it’s dark, I always think to myself, ‘Be like Aloy. Be like Ellie.’ They wouldn’t be scared about the dark staircase.”

About Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado

Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado will debut Wednesday, July 2 on Paramount+ and Nickelodeon in the U.S.

Synopsis: Latina heroine Dora returns as a 16-year-old, played by Samantha Lorraine (You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah). In this brand-new family movie, the world’s greatest explorer and her friends will trek through the perilous dangers of the Amazonian jungle in search of the ancient treasure of Sol Dorado to prevent it from falling into enemy hands.

Jacob Rodriguez portrays Diego, Dora’s 17-year-old loyal cousin and jungle-exploring partner; Mariana Garzón Toro is Naiya, Diego’s bold and no-nonsense coworker; Acston Luca Porto is Sonny, Naiya’s younger brother with boundless energy and curiosity; Daniella Pineda is Camila the Crusader, a legend in the world of archaeology and Dora’s childhood hero; and Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias is the voice of Boots, Dora’s monkey sidekick and best friend.

The film is directed by Alberto Belli (The Naughty Nine) and written by JT Billings (Are You Afraid of the Dark?). Adam Bonnett (Monster High: The Movie) serves as an executive producer, alongside Chris Gifford and Valerie Walsh Valdes (Dora the Explorer).