Disney will bring some of their most beloved characters together all in one place for an upcoming Disney Channel original movie, but it won't be the timeless heroes that are being concentrated on for this upcoming movie, but rather the villains who will take centre stage. The Descendants is the first live-action movie to be made entirely by the Disney Channel and rather than rehashing something from before, the channel have decided to make something potentially special.

Kenny Ortega
High School Musical's Kenny Ortega will direct

As initially reported by D23, the story will be set in the present day, in an idyllic kingdom ruled by Beast and Belle from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. There, the King and Queen's kind-hearted teenaged son is poised to take the throne, but he has a few changes lined up and in his first proclamation he decrees that the troublesome offspring of well-know villains Cruella De Vil, Maleficent, the Evil Queen, and Jafar all be given a second chance at redemption. Their respective, nefarious parents have been imprisoned on a forbidden island with all the other villains, sidekicks, evil step-mothers and step-sisters from the Disney back catalogue and their children are left on the periphery of society, until now. These villainous descendants (called Carlos, Mal, Evvie and Jay, respectively) are granted access into the kingdom so they may attend prep school alongside the offspring of several iconic Disney heroes, including the Fairy Godmother, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and Mulan, but the question remains over the villainous children and their actions.

The film offers an interesting premise and one that is relatively mature given the usual target audience for a Disney Channel original movie. The film also raises some interesting questions over whether the villainous offspring are more likely to follow in their sinister parents’ footsteps and use their newfound position to aid all the villains in the kingdom, or whether they can embrace the good and allow their innate goodness and save the kingdom. It will be interesting to see how Disney go about making the film.

The film will be directed by Kenny Ortega, the man who helmed the Disney Channel's most successful live action event High School Musical, and it is being produced by fellow HSM alum Mark Hofeling. Casting is currently underway, with the script currently being finished by writers Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott. The film is slated for a Spring 2015 release.

Kenny Ortega 2
Can Ortega do it again?