Disney’s building on the Descendants world with a film all about the sidekicks. Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story centers on sidekicks from Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty, and The Emperor’s New Groove.
“One of the things that has always made Descendants so special is the way it invites audiences to experience familiar Disney stories through an entirely new perspective,” stated Ayo Davis, president, Disney Kids & Family. “With Hidden Heroes, we’re finally putting the sidekicks center stage, because they’ve always been an essential part of Disney’s greatest adventures. It’s a fun, surprising new chapter that expands the Descendants universe with all the music, dance, and heart fans love and expect from the franchise.”
Filming is expected to begin next week with Jude Weng (Only Murders in the Building) directing from a script by Tamara Chestna, Eydie Faye, and Emma Fletcher.
Disney Channel and Disney+ offered this description of the just-announced movie:
“Hidden in the center of each fairy tale is a portal to a secret training facility where the descendants of legendary sidekicks are challenged to join the elite ranks of partners to heroes. When a villainous duo comes to Sidekick Academy, a group of fresh recruits must band together—without heroes, without parents—using only their new skills to save the fairytale realm before it’s too late.”
The music-driven film stars:
- Dior Goodjohn (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) as Jennie, the daughter of Genie from Aladdin
- Momona Tamada (The Baby-Sitters Club) as Zara, the daughter of Yzma from The Emperor’s New Groove
- Jacob Rodriguez (Tell Me Lies) as Kronk Jr., the son of Kronk from The Emperor’s New Groove
- Eva Fossaceca Smedley (Welcome to Flatch) as Meri, the daughter of Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty
- Harry Jones (Bury Your Nephew) as Lou, the son of Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast
- Rhys Dawkins, Connor Wong, and Kyra Wong as the Potts siblings from Beauty and the Beast
Mark Ordesky, Jane Fleming, Gary Marsh, and Chestna serve as executive producers. Louise Hradsky and Jeffrey Mortensen are the choreographers. The movie is produced by Disney Kids & Family.