The upcoming film Descendants: The Pocketwatch will include younger versions of beloved Disney characters, such as Jasmine, Aladdin, Hades, and Maleficent. The Descendants franchise began with the eponymous first film in 2015, which followed the teenage children of classic Disney villains. Two spinoff television miniseries also debuted in 2015 as part of the franchise. Two sequel films premiered in 2017 and 2019 respectively, and in May 2022, it was confirmed that the fourth film in the series, a spinoff titled Descendants: The Pocketwatch, was in production.
In a post to Disney+‘s Instagram page, casting was revealed for several new characters attending Merlin Academy. Check out the post below:
The post reveals that many teenaged versions of classic Disney characters appear in Descendants: The Pocketwatch, as opposed to previous Descendants films which focus on their children. The announcement casts Tristan Padil as Teen Prince Charming, Aiza Azaar as Teen Jasmine, Mars as Teen Maleficent, Kabir Bery as Teen Aladdin, and Anthony Pyatt as Teen Hades.
How Descendants: The Pocketwatch Will Be Different From Previous Films
When Descendants: The Pocketwatch was first announced in 2022, it was revealed that the film would be heavily inspired by Alice in Wonderland. It will follow the daughters of the Queen of Hearts and Cinderella as they team up to travel back in time with the White Rabbit’s pocketwatch in order to prevent disaster from happening. This takes the duo back to the days of the Merlin Academy, the predecessor to Descendants‘ Auradon Prep.
Though some beloved Disney characters have made appearances in the Descendants franchise, such as Maleficent, Hades, Jafar, and Cruella de Vil, Descendants: The Pocketwatch marks the first time audiences will get to see these characters in their teenage years. It will also be the first full appearance of Jasmine, Aladdin, and Prince Charming, though as younger versions of themselves. While previous Descendants films have focused heavily on the next generation, Descendants: The Pocketwatch will be the first opportunity for the franchise to explore the backstories of more well-known Disney characters.
Big names have already been tied to the film, with Brandy set to play Cinderella, Rita Ora playing the Queen of Hearts, and The Flight Attendant director Jennifer Phang taking over from franchise director Kenny Ortega. Though there is no release date as of yet, Descendants: The Pocketwatch is expected to premiere sometime in late 2023, with Disney having confirmed that the film was in production as of January 31. With the fourth installment in the Descendants series offering up something very different from past films, Descendants: The Pocketwatch is sure to be a unique addition to the Disney franchise.
Source: Disney+/Instagram