Coolest Disney Channel Original Movie ever? A new movie titled The Descendants – all about the Disney Villains’ children – has started casting roles.
The live-action movie will be directed by High School Musical helmer Kenny Ortega.
“In a present day idyllic kingdom, the benevolent teenaged son of the King and Queen (Beast and Belle from Disney’s iconic Beauty and the Beast) is poised to take the throne. His first proclamation: offer a chance at redemption to the trouble-making offspring of Cruella De Vil, Maleficent, the Evil Queen and Jafar, who have been imprisoned on a forbidden island with all the other villains, sidekicks, evil step-mothers and step-sisters,” the synopsis reads.
Related: Hypable picks the best Disney Channel Original Movies from the early 2000s.
“These villainous descendants (Carlos, Mal, Evvie and Jay, respectively) are allowed into the kingdom to attend prep school alongside the offspring of iconic Disney heroes, including Fairy Godmother, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and Mulan. However, the evil teens face a dilemma. Should they follow in their nefarious parents’ footsteps and help all the villains regain power or embrace their innate goodness and save the kingdom?”
This is a premise we never would’ve dreamed up ourselves, so we’re eager to see how Disney handles this.
Production on The Descendants is set to begin in the spring and will premiere on Disney Channel in 2015.
Said Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer, Disney Channels Worldwide, “We mined Disney’s treasure trove of stories and developed a new, comedic approach to the fabled characters everyone knows and loves. The result is a modern and unexpected re-interpretation of classic heritage characters utilizing contemporary, relatable settings and themes.”