Disney announces its new film Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story, a musical adventure with dancing that puts the spotlight on the descendants of Disney’s iconic sidekicks, rather than the villains’ offspring featured in Descendants. The movie will air on Disney Channel and Disney+, and filming commences next week.
The plot revolves around Sidekick Academy, the covert training institution accessible via a portal hidden in the middle of every fairy tale. At Sidekick Academy, children of famous sidekicks compete for an opportunity to become a partner to a hero. The arrival of a villain duo on campus means some recruits will have to rely on themselves and their not-yet-tested abilities, without heroes or parental support, to save the fairy tale world.
Main characters include:
- Dior Goodjohn in the role of Jennie, the daughter of the Genie from Aladdin
- Momona Tamada in the role of Zara, the daughter of Yzma from The Emperor’s New Groove
- Jacob Rodriguez in the role of Kronk Jr., the son of Kronk
- Eva Fossaceca Smedley in the role of Meri, the daughter of Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty
- Harry Jones in the role of Lou, the son of Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast
- Rhys Dawkins, Connor Wong, and Kyra Wong in the roles of the Potts siblings from Beauty and the Beast
Jude Weng directs the film from the script written by Tamara Chestna, Eydie Faye, and Emma Fletcher. Mark Ordesky, Jane Fleming, Gary Marsh, and Chestna will produce the film. Louise Hradsky and Jeffrey Mortensen are choreographers. Disney Kids & Family produces the film.
“Ayo Davis, president of Disney Kids & Family,” says the film will place sidekicks “center stage,” because they have always played a crucial role in Disney’s adventures. She also says that the Descendants series provides a unique perspective on the beloved Disney stories.
Such news comes shortly after the huge success of Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, which became the No. 1 movie on Disney+ worldwide based on views from July 17–27. According to the information provided by Disney, “the premiere generated a 400% increase in viewing hours of the other four movies in the franchise that week.” The soundtrack took second place on Billboard’s soundtrack chart and has accumulated 50.8 million streams worldwide, mainly due to such tracks as “Perfect Princess,” “Dancing with the Enemy,” and “Mad-Wicked Wonderland.”
Starting from 2015, the Descendants movies proved to be very popular for Disney. Every one of the first three films became the most-watched cable movie of the year. The franchise has recorded almost 1 billion hours of viewership across television and digital platforms in the U.S. “Descendants: The Rise of Red” premiered in 2024 and became the most-watched original movie for kids and girls ages 6 to 11, with over 9 billion views.
Now, Disney expands the franchise with live performances. The Worlds Collide Concert Tour, which has already sold out arenas in 40 North American cities in 2025, will return for 60 performances in North America, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The Worlds Collide Concert Tour kicks off on Sept. 25, 2026, in Palm Springs, California, and finishes in Dublin, Ireland, on Feb. 6, 2027. The World Collide Concert Tour will feature the stars from Descendants, ZOMBIES, and Camp Rock franchises, including Malachi Barton, Liamani Segura, Dara Reneé, Mekonnen Knife, Hudson Stone, Swayam Bhatia, Kiara Romero, and Alexandro Byrd.
Past Descendants movies and The Descendants/ZOMBIES Worlds Collide: Concert Special are available for streaming on Disney+.
