Here’s an interesting idea for a movie that sticks with the remake/established property aspects of current movie culture/trends while also offering a bit of a unique take on the material. With Once Upon A Time doing well on TV and Maleficent scheduled to hit theaters next year, the Disney Channel has announced a new original movie called Descendants. The concept for the film, as outlined in the press release, will be a live-action comedy about a group of teenagers who are the children of various Disney villains.
A more detailed description states that it takes place in a kingdom where the son of the Beast and Belle offers a chance at redemption to the children of Cruella de Vil, Jafar, Maleficent and the Evil Queen from Snow White, who have been cast off to an evil island with their parents, suggesting a “sins of the father” concept which could lead to some lessons learned and moral guidance in true Disney fashion when the descendants go to high school with the siblings of various Disney princes and princesses.
Kenny Ortega, master choreographer and director of the High School Musical films, is slated to direct again. This year’s Teen Beach Movie, another Disney Channel original offering, was the second highest rated cable TV-movie airing of all time with 13.5 million viewers. Disney Channel has generally had good luck in the ratings with their musical offerings, but no word as of yet if this one will be a musical.
This concept is reminiscent of many things, notable the infamously cancelled, Google-it-if-you-haven’t-already Gotham High TV series, about Batman and co. as high school students. Hopefully this project pans out a little better.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
