Disney’s "Princess Protection Program" Successfully Premiered in the US

Disney Channel's original made-for-television movie titled "Princess Protection Program", starring Demi Lovato (Camp Rock) and Selena Gomez (Another Cinderella Story) had a successful premiere in the US last Friday, June 26, 2009.

Princess Protection Program registered an estimated 8.5 million total viewers, the 3rd highest premiere by an original movie made by Disney Channel after High School Musical 2 in 2007 (with 17.2 million viewers) and Camp Rock in 2008 (with 8.9 million viewers).

Synopsis: When Princess Rosalinda (Lovato) is about to become queen of her country of Costa Luna, the country is invaded by an evil dictator. She is put into the Princess Protection Program, a secret organization funded by royal families that looks after endangered princesses. Rosalinda is taken under the wing of Mason (Verica), an agent in the PPP from rural Louisiana. While there, she meets his daughter, Carter (Gomez), an insecure tomboy who works at the local bait shop. Carter dreams of going to the school dance with her crush, Donny, (Adamson), the school hottie. In becoming a normal teenager, Rosalinda takes up the name Rosie and soon becomes popular at school; which Carter must learn to handle. Although through the ups and downs, the two form a tight bond and become close friends, with Carter teaching Rosie to become a normal American girl, and Rosie helping Carter to find her inner princess. At the end, Carter realizes what a jerk Donny is and goes to the dance with Ed (Braun), who is her best friend and he has a crush on her for a long time. Rosie becomes Queen of Costa Luna in the end and Carter and Ed cheer ,”Long Live Queen Rosie!” and Rosie walks down the aisle with Carter proud and smiling.

Watch "Princess Protection Program" trailer below:

Also starring in Princess Protection Program are Tom Verica as Joe Mason, Sully Diaz as Sophia, Johnny Ray Rodriguez as General Magnus Kane, Jamie Chung as Chelsea Barnes, Nicholas Braun as Ed, Robert Adamson as Donny, Samantha Droke as Brooke, Kevin G. Schmidt as Bull, Molly Hagan as The Director, Dale Dickey as Helen, Ricardo Alvarez as Elegante and Brian Tester as Principal Burkle.

After US, it will next premiere in the Netherlands on July 18 and in Brazil on July 26.

2008 Hollywood Teen Queens

A decade ago, the Spice Girls championed "girl power," and in 2008 a slew of talented young ladies seemed to take that message to heart. From Miley and Demi to Dakota and Kristen, teen girls ruled the charts as well as the big and small screens. Here, we look back at the young women who made this the year of the teen queens.

Miley Cyrus
In 2008, Miley survived the controversies of a couple of photo shoots; turned 16 and threw herself a huge bash; found love with an underwear model; and managed to do it all while acting in a few hit movies, getting nominated for a VMA and a Golden Globe, starring in a successful TV show and putting out a hit album.

Taylor Swift
She came on the scene singing about a boy named Drew in her VMA-nominated song "Teardrops on My Guitar," and she finished the year releasing a million-plus-selling record, Fearless, and singing about a more famous ex-love interest, Joe Jonas. The 19-year-old doesn't like being called a crossover artist, but she has definitely crossed over from being an up-and-coming country singer to a full-fledged pop star who isn't afraid to share her feelings about the guys she's dated. Maybe in 2009 she can finally make that hip-hop collaboration happen.

Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale
They may play frenemies in a trio of wildly popular Disney movies, but thanks to the success of the third installment of "High School Musical," both Hudgens and Tisdale are willing to let bygones be bygones as they graduate from their onscreen personas, Gabriella and Sharpay. These two have also managed to find time to have careers in music and shoot non-"HSM" movies set for release in 2009.

Demi Lovato
"Camp Rock" introduced everyone to Demi Lovato, who somehow managed to go from being "the next Miley Cyrus" to being the one and only Demi in just a few months. Her album, Don't Forget, made a splash on the charts, debuting at #2, and she got to work on her upcoming Disney Channel sitcom, "Sonny With a Chance," set to air in 2009. She also hooked up with fellow teen queen Selena Gomez for the movie "Princess Protection Program," but she swears she's never kissed a Jonas Brother. Miley who?

Selena Gomez
She plays a wizard on the Disney Channel, and for this 16-year-old, 2008 was magic. Selena talked about starting a band, and then she stirred the pot when she accidentally revealed to MTV News plans for a "Wizards of Waverly Place" movie. She made a cameo in the Jonas Brothers video for "Burnin' Up" and then reportedly found time to date the youngest JoBro, Nick. On top of all that, Selena and BFF Demi fended off rumors of a feud with Miley.

Dakota Fanning
Dakota Fanning has grown up right before our eyes. Now the Jodie Foster-approved actress is seamlessly making the transition from kid star to grown-up thespian. Despite some controversy for her role in "Hounddog," Fanning made her way back on the scene in "The Secret Life of Bees" and "Winged Creatures." The latter co-stars Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, who can't stop singing the actress' praises. Miranda Cosgrove
She may not have had the chops to join the band in 2003's "School of Rock," but she somehow managed to find her voice on Nickelodeon, singing the theme to her hit show "iCarly." On the program, Cosgrove's character has her own successful Web show, and like so many performers of her generation, Cosgrove spent part of 2008 working on an album, poising herself to jump on the singing-actress bandwagon.

Emma Roberts
You may know her dad, Eric, or her Aunt Julia, but Emma is out to make it on her own. She's had her own "Unfabulous" TV show, and she played Nancy Drew on the big screen. In 2008, she was busy shooting movies, so her hard work should pay off next year, when we'll see her in "The Winning Season" and "Hotel for Dogs."

Kristen Stewart
Playing "Twilight" heroine Bella has put this indie-film star on the map. She's become a hero to young girls everywhere with her quiet onscreen persona. And her real-life relaxed attitude is landing Stewart in some big roles for 2009: She's been tapped to play rocker Joan Jett in the Runaways biopic, and of course, she and Robert Pattinson will be heating up theaters again in the "Twilight" sequel, "New Moon," on November 20.

Jordin Sparks
The singer was nominated for a VMA for her track "No Air" (with Chris Brown), and she placed herself right in the middle of the Russell-Brand-versus-Jonas-Brothers purity-rings scandal of 2008 by declaring her abstinence in the middle of the live broadcast. "No Air" earned a Grammy nod too, so we may get a chance to see the "American Idol" winner's feisty side onstage come February.

Source: Jocelyn Vena, MTV