You didn’t think Descendants 2 was the end of the story did you? A legion of “Descendants” fans received confirmation of the long-awaited news of a third movie in the series of Disney Channel Original Movies. A special message from ‘Mal’ (daughter of Maleficent), which aired during tonight’s ‘Zombies‘ on the Disney Channel, hinted at a new villain set to join the story:
Yes the new villain would be Mal’s father. If Maleficent had a child, that child likely had a father, I just never had thought about it before. He definitely wasn’t in Sleeping Beauty. I guess we’ll find out who would marry the evil fairy and join the hugely popular story of the teenage sons and daughters of Disney’s most infamous villains.
Loyal fans have suspected and even demanded a “trequel” and have skillfully tracked clues across social media and the internet of recent pre-production activities in Vancouver, Canada. “Descendants 3” will begin production there in summer for a debut next year on Disney Channel. Emmy and DGA Award-winning director Kenny Ortega (“Descendants,” “High School Musical” trilogy) is the director, executive producer and choreographer.
Reprising their roles are Dove Cameron as Mal, Cameron Boyce as Carlos, Sofia Carson as Evie, Booboo Stewart as Jay, Mitchell Hope as King Ben and China Anne McClain as Uma. Additional casting for “Descendants 3” will be announced at a later date.
Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer, Disney Channels Worldwide, said, “By adding a modern twist to Disney’s most treasured heritage properties, the world of ‘Descendants’ has become an instant classic. We’re thrilled that the creative team that conceived and launched this global phenomenon is back to dive deeper into these characters and the imaginative world from which they come.”
“Descendants 2” has reached more than 71.5 million total viewers across 159 countries and 32 languages. Music videos from “Descendants” and “Descendants 2” have nearly two billion global views and the “Descendants 2” soundtrack was the #1 album on iTunes and in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart. In the U.S. for Halloween 2017, “Descendants 2” costumes were the top three selling Halloween costumes at Disney Stores and the #1 costume at Party City. More than three million “Descendants” and “Descendants 2” dolls have been sold, and more than four million “Descendants” related books have been sold including three popular young adult novels that were featured on the New York Times Best Sellers List.
Writers Sara Parriott and Josann McGibbon (“The Starter Wife,” “Runaway Bride,” “Descendants,” “Descendants 2”), who won a 2016 Writers Guild Award for “Descendants,” are the writers of “Descendants 3” and will also serve as executive producers. Kara Saun (“Descendants,” “Descendants 2,” “Project Runway”) is the costume designer. The production designer is Mark Hofeling (“Descendants,” “Descendants 2,” “High School Musical,” “ZOMBIES”). Shawn Williamson (“Descendants 2,” “Adventures in Babysitting”) is the producer. Additional news on the creative team will be released at a later date.
How how about it Descendant fans? Are you excited for a third movie with the Villain Kids? What other kids of heroes and villains would you like to see introduced?