Diary of a Future President is the latest Disney+ original series to be canceled this year.
Created by Ilana Peña, the comedy-drama series centers on Elena Cañero-Reed, a 13-year-old Cuban-American girl who attends middle school and aspires to be a future president of the United States. Tess Romero plays Elena, with Gina Rodriguez occasionally appearing through flashforwards as the adult version of the character, serving as the U.S. president.
The cancellation of the Diary of a Future President was announced by Peña on social media last Monday, thanking the cast and crew for their hard work and giving fans a special shoutout for watching the first two seasons of the show.
“We found out that [Diary of a Future President] is not moving forward with a season 3 at Disney+,” Peña wrote in a statement she shared on Twitter. “Of course, we would love to continue telling this story, but I am filled with so much gratitude for the 2 seasons that we did get to make. Thank you to our unbelievable cast, incredible crew, and passionate fans that made it possible for us to bring the Cañero-Reed family to life (half of which we did during a global pandemic). There’s so much I want to say about how this experience changed me, but Elena would say it better. She said all of it better. I made this show for my younger self, and I hope I made her proud.”
Romero also confirmed the show’s cancellation in a heartfelt Instagram post that comes with a bunch of on-set photos.
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“This show has been the best part of my life for the past 3 years. We told a dynamic, powerful story. It’s a shame we won’t get to finish it,” wrote the 15-year-old actress. “Elena has become a part of me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. While I will miss filming this show like crazy, it’s the cast and crew that I will miss the most. I don’t usually use superlatives, but these are genuinely some of the kindest, funniest, most talented people I have ever had the pleasure to meet. I’m so lucky to have y’all in my life. And the fans!! thanks to those who watched and supported diary. I’m thrilled that people connected so deeply to our story. U guys mean the world to us. But the journey isn’t over! I can’t wait to see what everyone does next! whatever it is, just know that I’ll be in the front row cheering u on 🙂 familia forever”
Diary of a Future President premiered on Disney+ in January 2020, just less than two months after the streamer’s November 2019 launch. The show’s season 1 was released on the service on a weekly basis, ending its 10-episode run in March 2020. Two months after that, Disney+ renewed the series for a 10-episode season 2, which dropped on the platform in one go last August.
The reason for the show’s cancellation is not clear, as Disney+, just like most streaming services, rarely release viewership figures.
In addition to Romero and Rodriguez, Diary of a Future President also stars Selenis Leyva as Gabi Cañero-Reed, Elena’s widowed mother who works as a lawyer; Charlie Bushnell as Bobby Cañero-Reed, Elena’s older brother who is coming to terms with his sexuality; and Michael Weaver as Sam Faber, a lawyer at Gabi’s firm who she develops a new relationship with.
All episodes of Diary of a Future President, which was exec produced by Peña, Rodriguez, CBS Television Studios, and I Can and I Will Productions, are currently available to stream on Disney+.