How ‘Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado’ Expands on Nickelodeon History

“Swiper, no swiping.” “Oh, man!” “¡Hola, soy Dora!” “Backpack, Backpack.” “We did it!” “If there’s a place you gotta get, I can get you there, I bet. I’m the map!”

These are phrases burned into many a mind across multiple generations, as “Dora the Explorer” celebrates its 25th anniversary. There’s the target Millennial and Gen Z audience of the original animated “Dora” series on Nickelodeon, their Boomer parents who overheard it, and now the Gen Alpha and Gen Beta kids watching the CGI-animated reboot “Dora” on streamer Paramount+.

The classic “Dora” quotes are sure to resurface this week as new live-action movie “Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado” debuts on Nickelodeon and Paramount+ Wednesday and brings the nostalgia for the series up to 11. And that’s exactly what Nickelodeon and its parent company Paramount Global are counting on, especially at a time when so much is uncertain in the entertainment landscape, but the power of IP is seemingly everlasting.

Created in 2000 by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes and Eric Weiner — and produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio — “Dora the Explorer” was all about breaking the fourth wall as a means to include children in the show’s problem-solving. And that aspect of the franchise is something that’s remained a focus through multiple iterations of the character, both in animation and live-action content.

“I met Chris Gifford when the original ‘Dora’ was in production, and he was so passionate,” Nickelodeon Animation and Paramount Animation president Ramsey Naito told Variety. “We were sitting down, and I was like, ‘What do you think makes kids love “Dora”?’ And he said, ‘The secret ingredient is love, and the secret ingredient is making Dora feel like the best friend next door, who kids can relate to, and to a degree where all kids really feel like Dora is in their life and their friend.’ So when she’s breaking that fourth wall and asking the question, engaging kids to come with them, they are going on a journey with their best friend.”

When it came to rebooting the IP for the new “Dora” CGI animated series, Naito says this was top of mind for her and Gifford, that “we should hold at the center of refreshing ‘Dora,’ and not forget that about ‘Dora.’”

In “Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado,” starring Samantha Lorraine as the world’s greatest explorer, Dora and her friends 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. The plan for success here hinges on Lorraine and director Alberto Belli focusing on making sure this Dora is still Dora.

“We have the iconic original character traits of her,” “Sol Dorado” star Lorraine said. “We made sure that we kept her positivity, her light-footedness, her silliness, her fourth-wall break — we got all those good stuff in there. But I think what makes this one really special is that she’s so smart and quick-witted and she’s so fearless and determined when it comes to finding Sol Dorado. I mean, we see in the trailer that Map ends up passing away — RIP, Map, you will be missed. Those are very iconic things to her character: You think of Dora, you think of Map, you think of Boots and Backpack and all these things.”

Through “Search for Sol Dorado,” Dora will be tested when her best friends/explorer assets are no longer there to help.

“When Plan A didn’t really go accordingly, she kind of had to revert to Plan B, and then Backpack was taken,” Lorraine teases. “So then Plan C, and it kind of just ended up trickling down into this really big moment for her to come to grips with, who is she? At the core of her being without all of these fancy things to accompany her, who is she? And I think she’s a fearless, determined, loyal, positive leader. I can’t wait for kids to see it and take away that message, because I think it’s such an important one for kids to grow up knowing.”

The July 2 release of “Search for Sol Dorado” kicks off “The Great Dora Fiesta,” Paramount’s 25th anniversary celebration for “Dora,” which will also include the debut of “Dora” Season 3 on Paramount+, along with a new hour-long special “Dora & Diego: Rainforest Rescues.” And while Paramount strives to keep Dora the same character for its preschool audience, they’ve also adjusted for certain differences between nowadays’ kid and the one watching the original 25 years ago.

“In terms of making the show for today’s audience, we had to recognize that the original show was made for kids watching television, and now they’re watching tablets,” Naito said. “So just the entertainment quality of this and the engagement had to just be a little different. And so we leaned into story, and we leaned into Dora telling stories a little bit more without leaving behind the curriculum, but we had to adjust that for today.”

Meanwhile, “Sol Dorado” is meant to be a movie for the whole family. And that’s keeping in mind that while Dora has always been a little girl in the animated series, Lorraine is 18 years old.

“I think the beauty of this film is that it really hits any age,” Lorraine said. “So when it comes to my version of Dora per se, I would say I was aiming for teens. But also, the fantastical part of it is that this is a magical movie at the end of the day, and she has such a youthful spirit, but she knows so much, which is why I think it’s so inspiring for kids to see. Because you can be young and you can be smart, and I think that’s such a powerful thing.”

Lorraine says that director Belli was aiming for a vibe similar to “The Goonies,” “Indiana Jones” and “Jurassic Park,” complete with multiple homages.

“So even if you’re an adult watching this movie, I think a lot of the shots that you’ll see, you’ll get a little twinge of nostalgia, and you’ll think, ‘Huh, I wonder why?’ and it’s because you’ve seen something like it before, but it’s in a new light and in a revamped way,” Lorraine said.