SEQUEL IN DEVELOPMENT FOR DISNEY CHANNEL’S HIT MOVIE “DESCENDANTS”
— “Descendants” Stars will Join Fans and Kenny Ortega at Downtown Disney, Anaheim, Saturday, October 17 —
As fan fervor for Disney’s “Descendants” grows around the world, a sequel script has been commissioned from the movie’s screenwriters, Sara Parriott and Josann McGibbon, who will also serve as executive producers on the project, “Descendants 2” (working title). It was announced today by Gary Marsh, President and Chief Creative Officer, Disney Channels Worldwide. “Descendants” is cable television’s fifth highest-rated movie of all-time.
Marsh said, “By almost every measure – domestically and globally – ‘Descendants’ has already become one of the biggest entertainment properties of the year, and we’re eager to delve deeper into the unfolding mythology of Auradon and Isle of the Lost. This kind of compelling, innovative storytelling, alongside our animated ‘Descendants: Wicked World’ shorts and unique transmedia campaign, continues to lay the groundwork for multiple franchise opportunities across virtually every line of business at The Walt Disney Company.”
On Saturday, October 17, the stars of Disney’s “Descendants,” including Dove Cameron (Disney Channel’s “Liv and Maddie”), Cameron Boyce (Disney XD’s “Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything,” Disney Channel’s “Jessie”), Booboo Stewart (“X-Men Days of Future Past”) and Sofia Carson, and Kenny Ortega will celebrate with fans during an on-stage, music and dance-filled event at Downtown Disney District, Disneyland Resort, in Anaheim, California.
The July 31 premiere of “Descendants,” a Disney Channel Original Movie directed, choreographed and executive-produced by Kenny Ortega (“High School Musical”), and executive-produced by Wendy Japhet (“An Education”, “The Italian Job”), delivered over 12.2 million (L+7) Total Viewers in the U.S., including 3.1 million Adults 18-49, making it the #1 cable TV movie in nearly three years in that demographic. It also broke viewing records on the WATCH Disney Channel app where it has posted 3.3 million video views since July 24.
Around the world, “Descendants” has now reached over 32 million total viewers, including 1.2 million on Disney Channel UK where it was the #1 telecast in six years (against all kids channels) among Kids, Girls and Tween Girls 8-12. On Disney Channel Italy, it ranks as the highest rated Disney Channel Original Movie ever among Girls 4-14. In Australia, it was Disney Channel’s highest-rated program among Kids 5-15 since 2010. On Disney Channels in Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile, “Descendants” ranked #1 against all free TV and cable TV among Kids 4-11 and Kids 4-17. In Brazil, it ranked #1 of all cable TV networks among Kids 4-11 and Kids 4-17.
Also announced today, Melissa de la Cruz will write a second novel as part of the ongoing “Descendants” publishing program. “Return to the Isle of the Lost” will publish in May 2016. The prequel novel, “The Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel,” by Melissa de la Cruz, hit #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List (Children’s Middle Grade) for 13 of the past 22 weeks on the list. In total, four “Descendants” books from Disney Publishing Worldwide have been on the New York Times Best Seller List for a combined 41 weeks.
The trans-media content includes an animated short-form series, “Descendants: Wicked World,” set in the Auradon and Isle of the Lost worlds, which debuted last month on Disney Channel (reaching 5.9 million Total Viewers), WATCH Disney Channel (1.7 million views), and YouTube (over 10 million views, to-date).
A “Descendants” mobile game from Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media will launch in November. A “Descendants” Karaoke App released July 30 and reached #1 in the Kids 9-11 category in four countries including the U.S.
The “Descendants” soundtrack entered the Billboard 200 at #1, and six music videos of its musical numbers, plus its end-credit song “Believe” by Shawn Mendes and a “Rotten to the Core” remix by Sofia Carson, have delivered over 254 million views on DisneyMusicVevo. The movie has also inspired creative fan art, fan fiction, fan song covers and fan dance videos.
The “Descendants” DVD released on July 31 and is the #1 TV movie and the third best-selling TV title on DVD, 2015 to-date.
Disney Consumer Products’ retailers include Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, Kohl’s, JCPenney, Amazon and Disney Store. The licensed line includes fashion dolls, apparel, accessories, role play/costumes, bedding, DIY beauty products and consumer electronics. Licensees are Hasbro, Jaya, Mad Engine, Innovative Designs, Markwins, KIDdesigns, among others, and new products are rolling out through 2016.
Disney’s “Descendants,” a modern-day coming-of-age adventure about the teenage sons and daughters of Disney’s most infamous villains, is a live-action, music-filled, dragon-sized adventure starring Dove Cameron as Mal, Cameron Boyce as Carlos, Booboo Stewart as Jay, Sofia Carson as Evie, Mitchell Hope as Ben, Tony Award-winning Kristin Chenoweth as Maleficent, Wendy Raquel Robinson as Cruella de Vil, Maz Jobrani as Jafar, Kathy Najimy as the Evil Queen, Melanie Paxson as Fairy Godmother, Brenna D’Amico as Jane, Sarah Jeffery as Audrey, Zachary Gibson as Doug, Jedidiah Goodacre as Chad Charming, and Dianne Doan as Lonnie.
In the U.S., Disney Channel holds the record of presenting six of the Top 7 original cable movies ever (“High School Musical 2,” “Teen Beach Movie,” “Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie,” “Descendants,” “Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension” and “Camp Rock”).
