Once upon a time, a music-driven movie about the teenage progeny of iconic Disney villains premiered on Disney Channel, in turn launching a wildly popular global franchise.
On July 31, 2015, the Disney Channel Original Movie Descendants invited audiences inside the idyllic kingdom of Auradon where Ben (Mitchell Hope), poised to become King, proclaimed that the trouble-making offspring of Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Cruella de Vil, and Jafar — Mal (Dove Cameron), Evie (Sofia Carson), Carlos (Cameron Boyce), and Jay (Booboo Stewart), respectively — would be given a chance at redemption. No longer banished to the Isle of the Lost, the Villain Kids (VKs) had to discover if it’s really good to be bad.
Descendants was an instant sensation, thanks in large part to Disney Legend Kenny Ortega, who had shepherded the tremendously successful High School Musical franchise. Ortega served as the director, choreographer, and executive producer of Descendants, which became the No. 1 television movie of the year (as did its two sequels, Descendants 2 and Descendants 3). Soundtracks for all three films topped the Billboard charts, and its music videos have been viewed over 7 billion times on YouTube and VEVO.
The Descendants franchise also includes an animated spinoff series, Descendants: Wicked World; an animated special, Descendants: The Royal Wedding; and the live-action Under the Sea: A Descendants Short Story. Disney Branded Television president Ayo Davis shepherded in a new era for the franchise, with a fourth film in 2024, Descendants: The Rise of Red, which broke ratings records for Disney Channel and Disney+ and introduced a new cast of VKs. A follow-up film, Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, is set to premiere in 2026.
In a wide-ranging interview, Ortega looks back at the original film and its legacy:
When Gary Marsh, then president and chief creative officer of Disney Channels Worldwide, approached you about directing Descendants, did you already see the potential for it to become a franchise and the global phenomenon that it is today?
When Gary called me, we hadn’t spoken in a while. He said, “Kenny, I’ve been developing this film called Descendants, and it’s written by Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott. It’s based on the children of the Disney characters, both good and evil.” I was like, “I’m in!” He laughed and said, “I want you to read the script first. But I had a feeling that you were going to connect with this. I haven’t shared it with anyone else. I think it’s yours — if you want it.”
So, Gary sent the script to me. I immediately read it, and I was super excited. As soon as I committed to it, I realized the tremendous responsibility that was layered on top of the responsibilities you already have as a filmmaker at Disney. These are beloved heritage characters that have been around for generations, and now I was going to be bringing their children to life — so I better do it right. I carried a little bit of pressure along with me.
Given the success you previously had with the High School Musical trilogy and Cheetah Girls 2, it begs the question: Is there a secret recipe for sustaining a hit Disney Channel franchise?
The raison d’être… Is there a great reason for being that lives in the soul of a piece? All of the projects had something in it for me that could be mighty. Beyond being entertaining, they could speak to young people; they could empower, impact, and inspire. Then it was just about creating an environment, as a producer and a director, that let everyone know they were safe and they could take risks. They weren’t going to be judged. Fear was going to be kept as far away from them as possible. So, that was a huge, very helpful ingredient.
At its core, why do you think the characters, the songs, and the lessons from the first Descendants movie and its sequels have resonated with so many people over the years?
The characters were really born out of their parents. We all did our work — the kids, the studio, and myself — to make sure it felt authentic. That was the beauty of it. Can the daughter of Maleficent actually be trusted? Can the son of Jafar, the daughter of the Evil Queen, and the son of Cruella de Vil become good? We workshopped that before we locked things in. We allowed ourselves time to play, to improvise, and to create backstories.
What was it like juggling so many roles behind the scenes?
When you’re producing, directing, and choreographing, that is a lot. I was also working on the script, developing the music with the studio, and going in for the recording sessions. I was doing it all, casting behind the scenes and in front of the camera. At my age, there are dance moves I can’t demonstrate, so I’ve always bring in a strong team of choreographers.
For the Descendants movies, I brought in Paul Becker, Tony Testa, and Jamal Sims, and some incredible assistants. The choreographers and I have a partnership. We dive in and work hard to make sure that the story is moving forward through the choreography, because it’s a voice that’s taking the place of dialogue. It needs to move the character and story forward and leave you in a place that you weren’t before it started. So, it’s a really fun process. I love it.
The music is a big part of why people love Descendants, and there’s a great mix of pop, R&B, and showtunes. How were you able to make those genres work together so easily?
David Lawrence scored everything; he’s the brilliant son of Eydie Gormé and Steve Lawrence, two icons in music. Steven Vincent, who is now SVP Music & Soundtracks at Disney Branded Television, is one of the great musical minds in film and film musicals, and he helped me tremendously through High School Musical, Cheetah Girls, the Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, and Descendants in sculpting and outlining where music and dance could move story forward. He also knew all the young and hungry composers and lyricists, so he would bring me their demos. We would listen to them together, narrow them down, and then play them for Gary.
Descendants was so well received that you returned for another two sequels. Given the original film’s success, did you find it easier or harder to keep raising the bar each time?
We just wanted to keep telling the story. We thought that if the stories were there, we would be OK. Sara and Josann gave us the books and were open-minded about working with myself and with the actors to workshop ideas. We had support from the studio and from our hard-working crew. We didn’t try to eclipse ourselves; we just hoped to continue.
What’s it been like to see the first three Descendants movies find new audiences 10 years later thanks to Disney+, and why do you think those stories continue to resonate?
There isn’t a place in the world where someone hasn’t come up to me and said, “Kenny! You created the soundtrack to my childhood. If it wasn’t for this, I wouldn’t have pursued that.” And I’m so grateful. The big thing for me is plugging into the fans. What are they thirsty for? Give them what they want, what they expect — and then give them something that surprises them, that they didn’t know they needed. I’m always thinking of them. Always. What is it that they relate to, that excites them, that does more than just entertain them for a moment? What gets them up and down, wanting to learn the choreography, but also gets them really thinking afterwards? The work honors the fans. The work is in recognition that they exist — that they’re out there. If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t be where we are.
