Disney
Have you ever wondered what the children of your favorite Disney villains were up to? Surely life went on outside of their movies. When you’re evil, you’ll want to make sure you have evil children to continue your legacy, right? Disney explored that theme in its 2015 TV-movie Descendents, which delved into the not-so-average lives of Maleficent, the Wicked Queen, Cruella de Vil, and Jafar’s teenage offspring.
The movie was big for Disney fans. Not only did it create new characters within the Disney world, but even those who weren’t openly focused on still played a part in the universe. For example, the United States of Auradon was created years after Belle and The Beast, from Beauty and the Beast, officially wed. This isn’t the world that our villains live in, however. They’ve been banished to the Isle of the Lost, along with their children. But, are the children of these powerful villains equally as evil? You might want to find out and stream Descendants for yourself.
Disney+ has included Descendants in with their large catalog of streamable content, so here’s everything you need to know before you watch.
How to Stream ‘Descendants’ – Exclusively on Disney+
Descendants is one of the fan-favorite Disney original movies that will be streaming exclusively on Disney’s new subscription streaming service, Disney+.
You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Disney+ HERE, which will allow you to stream Descendants and hundreds of other movies and shows on your computer, phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device. If you extend past the free trial, the service costs $6.99/month. You may also opt for this discount bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99/month.
- 1. Sign up for Disney+ here
- 2. Go to Disneyplus.com or download the Disney+ app on your device
- 3. Log in using your information
- 4. Search for “Descendants”
- 5. Tap on “Descendants”
- 6. Tap the PLAY button
Disney+ also boasts a vast library of Disney-owned movies and series — plus several new original series coming soon. The service includes unlimited downloads so you can watch offline whenever and wherever you want. The list of compatible devices and smart TVs includes iPads, Apple TV, Amazon devices, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Chromecast, Roku, PS4, and Xbox One.
How Long Is ‘Descendants’?
Descendants is 112 minutes long.
‘Descendants’ Plot
Ben, the son of Belle and the Beast (named Adam), decides that he wants to give some of the villain’s children a chance to live a healthy life in Auradon. Carlos, the son of Cruella de Vil; Evie, daughter of the Wicked Queen from Snow White; Jay, son of Jafar from the film Aladdin, and Mal, the daughter of Maleficent, are offered the opportunity to leave their home in the Isle of the Lost. But before they leave, Maleficent makes it clear that she hopes that Mal and her friends will steal the Fairy Godmother’s wand while they’re there. In doing so, Maleficent will be able to merge both worlds and take control of Auradon once and for all.
‘Descendents’ Cast
It can often be hard to find a charismatic young cast, but Disney has been creating stars for decades. Here are the lead actors of Descendents.
Dove Cameron as Mal
Mal is the daughter of Maleficent and Hades. She’s smart, daring, and the lead of the crew. As for Dove Cameron, she’s no stranger to Disney. Cameron is also in the Disney Channel movie Cloud 9 and plays two characters in the Disney Channel show Liv and Maddie.
Cameron Boyce as Carlos
Cameron Boyce is Carlos de Vil, the son of Cruella. Despite being the child of a villain, he’s a little kinder than you might expect, and often follows others instead of creating his own plans. He also has a fear of dogs. Boyce, tragically, passed away from an epileptic seizure before the airing of the third Descendants movie
Booboo Stewart as Jay
Jay, the son of Jafar, is more of a mischievous and cunning character. He uses charm as a way to get what he wants and is known for thievery. Outside of the acting world, Stewart is a lot more giving than his villainous character. As of 2010, he became a Celebrity Ambassador to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Sofia Carson as Evie
Speaking of charm, let’s talk about Evie. It might not be the easiest task to be the daughter of the Wicked Queen — also known as the Evil Queen — but Evie uses her charm and good looks to try and get ahead. Unfortunately, one of her biggest flaws is vanity — and she can thank her mom for instilling that. In 2019, after the third film, Carson posted a letter that she wrote to her character, stating “Five years ago, I walked into an audition room, that, little did I know, would turn my whole world upside down and paint it a beautiful shade of blue. To say that you changed my life would be saying too little….But, if I’m being honest, I could never say enough. I could never find the words to express to you the fairytale you have gifted me.”
Mitchell Hope as Ben
Ben was on his way to becoming King — and one of his first orders was to let the kids of villains have a chance at becoming good. Much like his mother, Belle, he tries to look past appearance and give everyone a shot. Judy Taylor, the senior VP of casting and talent, was especially enamored with Mitchell Hope playing the role. “We were intrigued by Mitchell’s natural acting style, boyish charm and winning personality and when we brought him to Los Angeles to read opposite Dove [Cameron], it was apparent that he embodied the inherent good nature of ‘Ben’ and the sense of fairness that the character represents,” she stated back in 2013, when the movie was announced.
‘Descendants’ Songs and Soundtrack
The soundtrack includes songs like “Be Our Guest,” Kaka Paidia (Rotten To The Core), “Believe,” “Kakia Vasilissa (Evil Like Me),” and “Sto ‘Pa? (Did I Mention)” and “Good Is The New Bad.” The cast participates in a lot of these songs, with “Believe” being written and performed by Shawn Mendes. Songs were included in the movie as an afterthought. After Kenny Ortega signed his name to the project, it was then viewed as a musical, based on Ortega’s success with High School Musical. The soundtrack did well, having been featured on the Billboard 200. While “Believe” was nominated for a Teen Choice Award back in 2015, it didn’t win.
‘Descendants’ at the Box Office
After its release in 2015, Descendants was extremely successful. Even before it officially premiered on television, Disney fans watched it more than one million times through the Disney Now app, which released it early. That said, approximately 6.6 million viewers still tuned in to watch on television, and it was the top cable TV movie of 2015.
‘Descendants’ Reviews – What the Critics Said
With 10 reviews from professional critics, Descendants received an impressive 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with most people finding it to be a fresh new spin on classic Disney characters. Entertainment Weekly reviewer Shirley Li stated, “Disney Channel’s primary audience will likely fall under the Descendants‘ spell, and the story’s cross-generational story scratches just deep enough under the surface to appeal to older members of the family as well.”
Where ‘Descendants’ Fits in the Disney Movie Pantheon
As far as TV movies go, Descendants was often compared to High School Musical. Both had their share of sequels and a dedicated fanbase, along with a soundtrack that made the charts. It also was a good starter movie for young talent. Out of the cast of Descendants, Dove Cameron proved that she might be the next Disney star to go onto big feature films. “Will Descendants create the next Zac Efron or Vanessa Hudgens?” Hollywood Reporter wrote back in 2015. “Of the crowd, Cameron seems to have the most star potential.”
‘Descendants’ Trailer
‘Descendants’ Trivia: 5 Fast Facts
Think you know everything about Descendants? Here are five facts that you might want to hear about after streaming it a few times on Disney+.
1. Cameron Boyce Had Not One, But Five Body Doubles
It’s not uncommon for actors to have body doubles, especially in action movies — which is what this film was initially going to be marketed as. But since Cameron Boyce was only 15 when the film started shooting, his time on set was legally cut. Thus, his doubles also helped take over for scenes in which he wasn’t the main focus. Those five include picture doubles and dancing doubles.
2. Dove Cameron Got To Work With Her Idol
As a budding actress, Cameron was actually a huge fan of Kristin Chenoweth well before learning that she was also working on Descendants, playing the part of her mother. “She’s one of the most amazing people in the world,” Cameron said in a panel interview with AOL. “I was obsessed with her when I was only 7 years old. She was like my idol in a way that nobody else was.”
3. The Costumes For Descendants Came From Reality Television… Technically
It sounds hard to believe, but the costumes for the TV movie were created by Kara Saun, who was featured on the first season of Project Runway. There was also a Project Runway challenge when Descendants 2 came out, meaning that both the show and the Disney series are uniquely linked.
4. The School Colors Of Auradon Prep Were Chosen For A Reason.
Blue and gold naturally look good together, but they’re also the color of the Beast’s jacket in Beauty and the Beast. So, it makes sense that the Beast —er, Adam — might select those for the prep school.
5. Belle and Adam’s Son Was Name After The Sons-In-Law Of A Writer.
Ben’s official name is “Ben Florian,” which, reportedly, happen to be the two names of writer Josann McGibbon’s sons-in-law — Ben and Florian. It must have been an honor for them to be written into Disney history.