Descendants Franchise

**The Descendants Franchise** consists of three films, all of which are Disney Channel Original Movies. Each film has its own soundtrack album featuring songs sung by the cast of that film.

## Films

### Descendants

Belle and Beast have married and become King and Queen. Following the establishment of the United States of Auradon, they have created a prosperous new nation from the surrounding kingdoms and banished the villains to the Isle of the Lost, a slum surrounded by a barrier where magic is suspended. Now, twenty years later, their son, Ben, who will soon be crowned king, announces that his first proclamation is to give four selected children from the Isle of the Lost the chance to live in Auradon, away from the influence of their villainous parents. He chooses Carlos, son of Cruella De Vil; Jay, son of Jafar; Evie, daughter of the Evil Queen; and Mal, daughter of Maleficent, despite his father's protests. On the island, Maleficent instructs the quartet to steal the Fairy Godmother's magic wand to release the barrier so she can take over Auradon.

Travelling to Auradon Preparatory, the four meet Ben and his self-proclaimed girlfriend Princess Audrey, daughter of Aurora. They also meet the Fairy Godmother, the school's headmistress. Evie uses her mother's pocket-sized magic mirror to locate the wand in a nearby museum and Mal uses her mother's spinning wheel from the museum to put the security guard to sleep, but they fail to steal the wand due to a barrier around it. After learning that the Fairy Godmother will use the wand at Ben's coronation, the four wait it out by attending classes, but start to fit in with the students. Jay is recruited into the school's "tourney" team (a sport similar to field hockey, hurling and lacrosse), while Carlos overcomes his fear of dogs by befriending the school's dog, Dude. Evie, though intelligent, acts vain to impress Prince Chad, Cinderella's son, but ends up doing his homework for him. Dopey's son, Doug, encourages her not to pander to others and be herself.

Mal becomes popular, using Maleficent's spell book to improve the looks of Jane and Lonnie, the daughters of the Fairy Godmother and Mulan, respectively. Learning that Ben's "girlfriend" will be seated close to the wand during the coronation, which is used during the ceremony, Mal bakes a cookie laced with a love potion and gives it to Ben, who falls madly in love with her, much to his friends' shock. On a date with Ben, Mal becomes conflicted with her inner goodness and desire to please her mother, unsure of how to react to Ben's feelings towards her. During the school's family day, the villains' children are ostracised after an encounter with Audrey's grandmother, Queen Leah, saying Maleficent's curse was the reason she missed Aurora's childhood, prompting an argument that drives Mal to end the beauty spell she used on Jane. While Ben tries to reassure them that everything will be okay after the coronation, Doug tries to remain friendly towards Evie, but Chad forces him to distance himself from her.

At Ben's coronation, Mal gives him a brownie containing the love spell's antidote, believing it is unnecessary to keep him under the spell. It turns out, per Ben's admission, that he was already freed of the spell since their date when he went swimming in the Enchanted Lake, believing that Mal only did it because she really liked him. However, much to Mal's surprise it turns out Ben has had feelings for her all along. During Ben's crowning, a disillusioned Jane grabs the wand from her mother, wanting to improve her beauty, only for her to accidentally destroy the Isle's barrier. Mal takes the wand from Jane, but torn over what to do, is encouraged by Ben to make her own choice rather than follow Maleficent's path. Mal recognises that she and her friends found happiness in Auradon and they choose to be good.

Maleficent crashes the ceremony, freezing everyone except herself and the four children. When they defy her, Maleficent transforms into a dragon. Mal and her friends use a counter spell, turning Maleficent into a lizard based on the amount of love in her heart. Mal returns wand to Fairy Godmother as she unfreezes everyone and tells her not to be hard on Jane. While the villains watch the celebration from afar, Auradon Prep's students party through the night. Mal's eyes turn green as she addresses the audience, telling them the story is not over yet.

### Descendants 2

Mal struggles with her new celebrity life as the girlfriend of King Ben, putting a spell on her hair making it blonde and uncomfortably maintaining a princess-like personality. She confides her issues in her friends Evie, Carlos and Jay, but they are content with their new lives in Auradon and do not wish to return to the Isle of the Lost. Evie scolds Mal for relying on her mother's spell book to solve her issues. Carlos, wishing to ask Jane to the upcoming Cotillion dance, turns to Mal for help with honesty. Mal gives him a sweet that will make him speak the truth, but his dog, Dude, eats it, magically speaking the blunt truth in English.

Ben eventually discovers Mal's reliance on magic and she comes clean about her insecurities, causing a falling out. Mal returns to the Isle, now ruled by her former rival Uma, Ursula's daughter, along with Harry and Gil, the sons of Captain Hook and Gaston. Mal visits hairstylist Dizzy, Drizella's daughter, who restores her signature purple hair, saying she felt that Mal's blonde hair was unnatural. Harry discovers Mal's return and informs Uma.

Ben, Evie, Jay and Carlos learn of Mal's departure and sneak onto the Isle to find her, but Gil recognises them. Ben confronts Mal, who rejects his feelings for what she thought was both his sake and Auradon's. Ben leaves dejected, only to be captured by Uma. Mal and Uma arm wrestle for Ben and Fairy Godmother's wand, which Uma wins. Uma then orders Mal and her friends to retrieve the Fairy Godmother's wand or Ben dies. Carlos and Jay return to Auradon Prep, where they create a replica of the wand using a 3D printer. They are caught by Lonnie, Mulan's daughter, who blackmails them into letting her come, having previously been rejected from Jay's sports team based on her gender.

Uma speaks with Ben, bitter that she and the others were not chosen to go to Auradon. Ben takes this into account and invites her to Auradon, but Uma instead plots to make her own way there. Mal's group return, handing over the fake wand in exchange for Ben, but Uma realises the forgery. The group flee back to Auradon, but Mal and Ben's relationship is still rocky. The villains' children come to terms that they cannot run from their pasts and agree to be honest with themselves and each other. Carlos confesses to Jane but struggles a little bit, while Jay appoints Lonnie as the captain of his team.

Aboard a ship during the Cotillion, Ben stuns everyone by appearing with Uma, who he declares as his true love and announces he will destroy the barrier on the Isle. Jane unveils a stained-glass display Ben commissioned to show his affection for Mal, who realises he loved her for who she was all along. Suspecting Uma has given him a love potion, Mal confesses her love for Ben and kisses him, breaking the spell. Enraged, Uma leaps into the water using Ursula's magic seashell to transform into an octopus and Mal fights back as a dragon. Ben intervenes, quelling the battle and Uma returns the ring that Ben had originally given her when he had declared her as his true love. She leaves, despite his offer still standing.

Mal and Ben reunite, Mal surrendering her spell book to the Fairy Godmother. Evie requests that Dizzy be allowed to attend Auradon Prep; when Dizzy is offered, she excitedly accepts.

In a mid-credits scene, Uma addresses the audience, promising that the story is not over.

### Descendants 3

Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos visit the Isle of the Lost to choose four new villain's kids (VKs) to take to Auradon. They pick Dizzy, daughter of Drizella and granddaughter of Lady Tremaine, Celia, daughter of Dr. Facilier, and Squeaky and Squirmy, the twin sons of Mr. Smee. The day the kids are to be picked up, Ben, Mal's boyfriend and the king of Auradon, proposes to her. She accepts; Ben's ex-girlfriend Princess Audrey seethes with jealousy and her grandmother Queen Leah admonishes her for failing to secure the family legacy by marrying Ben.

When the barrier is opened for the new VKs, Hades, the god of the underworld, attempts to escape but Mal beats him back in her dragon form. That night, unable to contain her jealousy of Mal, Audrey steals the Queen's Crown and Maleficent's Scepter from The Museum of Cultural History. The theft and Hades' escape attempt has the citizens panicking. Mal, as future Queen, decides the best way to protect the subjects and restore peace is to close the barrier permanently, meaning no new VKs can come, nor can anyone enter the Isle.

Audrey attacks Mal with Maleficent's scepter, turning her into an old hag. Mal and the other VKs go to the Isle to get Hades' ember, the only thing powerful enough to break the scepter's curse. Mal is restored upon entering the Isle due to the suppression of evil magic there. Celia gets Mal into Hades' lair, but he thwarts their effort to steal the ember. He is revealed to be Mal's absentee father and reluctantly gives her the ember, warning her that it mustn't get wet and will not exhibit its full powers for her. While leaving the Isle, Mal and the others are stopped by Uma, Gil and Harry, who take the Ember; they agree to help after Mal agrees to release all the children from the Isle.

In Auradon, Audrey attacks Jane's birthday party with a sleeping curse; Prince Chad obsequiously aligns himself with Audrey, while Jane escapes into the Enchanted Lake. As the entire kingdom falls under Audrey's spell, she offers to reverse it if Ben will marry her; he refuses, so she turns him into a beast and begins turning people to stone. Mal and Uma, vying for leadership of the VKs, return to Auradon with their friends. Despite their bickering, they defeat suits of armour animated by Audrey. Uma finds Audrey's diary and learns that she spends time at Fairy Cottage, a contribution for which Mal thanks her. Evie, nervous to define her feelings for Doug, wakes him with "true love's kiss." Carlos calms Ben, in beast form, until Jane restores him with lake water. As Mal and Uma are thawing towards each other, Audrey traps them in Evie's house; they reverse Audrey's spell by combining their magic and they all reunite there.

At the Fairy Cottage, they find only a shell-shocked Chad. When Mal admits that she plans to seal off the Isle permanently, the group implodes and Celia, learning she can never see her father again, throws the ember in a birdbath and Uma and Harry leave. After Evie tells Mal how upset she is for lying to her and their friends, they are all suddenly turned to stone, except for Mal. Audrey takes Celia hostage and attacks Mal, who turns into her dragon form. Realising she is Mal's only hope, Uma combines their magic to reignite the ember; Mal overcomes Audrey, who falls comatose and the curses are lifted. The ember could revive Audrey, but only in Hades' hands; Ben agrees to send for him, while Uma, Harry, Gil and Celia plan to return to the Isle. Mal apologises for lying; her friends and former rivals forgive her as they understood that she was just trying to do the right thing. Hades arrives and revives Audrey, but decries the double standard by which Audrey is immediately forgiven because she is not considered a villain. Mal and Ben apologise to Audrey; in response, Audrey and Queen Leah apologise to Mal.

Mal announces that she cannot be the Queen of Auradon unless she can also be the Queen of the Isle because everyone is capable of being good and bad. With Ben and the Fairy Godmother's agreement, Mal removes the barrier and creates a bridge, and the people of the newly merged society celebrate. Also, Jane and Carlos become official, Mal and Ben are engaged, and Audrey has eyes for Harry (after Uma rejects him).

In the mid-credits scene, Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos are seen looking at the Isle of the Lost; then racing across the bridge to their parents.

## Music

### Albums

Formats: CD and digital download
Label: Walt Disney Records
 Descendants 2 | Released: July 21, 2017
Formats: CD and digital download
Label: Walt Disney Records
 Descendants 3 | Released: August 2, 2019
Formats: CD and digital download
Label: Walt Disney Records

## Cast and Characters

* Dove Cameron as Mal (Descendants 1, 2 and 3)
* Sofia Carson as Evie (Descendants 1, 2 and 3)
* Booboo Stewart as Jay (Descendants 1, 2 and 3)
* Cameron Boyce as Carlos (Descendants 1, 2 and 3)
* Mitchell Hope as King Ben (Descendants 1, 2 and 3)
* Melanie Paxson as Fairy Godmother ((Descendants 1, 2 and 3)
* Jedidiah Goodacre as Prince Chad (Descendants 1, 2 and 3)
* Brenna D'Amico as Jane (Descendants 1, 2 and 3)
* Zachary Gibson as Doug (Descendants 1, 2 and 3)
* Dan Payne as Beast (Descendants 1, 2 and 3)
* Keegan Connor Tracy as Belle (Descendants 1, 2 and 3)
* Dianne Doan as Lonnie (Descendants 1 and 2)
* Sarah Jeffery as Princess Audrey (Descendants 1 and 3)
* Judith Maxie as Queen Leah (Descendants 1 and 3)
* China Anne McClain as Uma (Descendants 2 and 3)
* Thomas Doherty as Harry (Descendants 2 and 3)
* Anna Cathcart as Dizzy (Descendants 2 and 3)
* Dylan Playfair as Gil (Descendants 2 and 3)
* Kristin Chenoweth as Maleficent (Descendants 1)
* Kathy Najimy as Evil Queen (Descendants 1)
* Maz Jobrani as Jafar (Descendants 1)
* Wendy Raquel Robinson as Cruella De Vil (Descendants 1)
* Cheyenne Jackson as Hades (Descendants 3)
* Jadah Marie as Celia (Descendants 3)
* Jamal Sims as Dr. Facilier (Descendants 3)
* Christian Convrey as Squeaky (Descendants 3)
* Luke Roessler as Squirmy (Descendants 3)

## Spin-offs

### Prequel

See Also: Descendants: School of Secrets

Before the film's premiere air date, Disney Channel announced a live action mini-series leading up to the event. Every day leading up to the release of the film, a new episode of Descendants: School of Secrets would be released revealing more secrets about the students at Auradon Prep. Each episode of the series is under 5 minutes long, with 23 episodes in total.

### Animated Series

See Also: Descendants: Wicked World

Right after the film finished airing on Disney Channel, it was announced that a CGI-animated short spin-off titled Descendants: Wicked World would be released in September 18, 2015. Furthermore, former Phineas and Ferb storyboard artist Aliki Theofilopoulos Grafft announced on Twitter that she was directing the series, with Jenni Cook as producer and that the original cast would be reprising their roles.

### Short Films

See Also: Under the Sea: A Descendants Story

A related short film, Under the Sea: A Descendants Short Story, which features Mal and Uma facing off in "an epic underwater showdown" was released on September 28, 2018.

## Books

### Novels

1. The Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz, released May 5, 2015
2. Return to the Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz, released May 24, 2016
3. Rise of the Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz, released May 23, 2017
4. Escape from the Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz, released June 4, 2019

### Junior Novels

1. Descendants: Junior Novel by Rico Green, released July 24, 2015
2. Descendants 2: Junior Novel by Eric Geron, released June 20, 2017
3. Descendants 3: Junior Novel by Disney Book Group, released July 30, 2019

### School of Secrets

1. CJ's Treasure Chase by Jessica Brody, released August 30, 2016
2. Freddie's Shadow Cards by Jessica Brody, released November 1, 2016
3. Ally's Mad Mystery by Jessica Brody, released February 28, 2017
4. Lonnie's Warrior Sword by Jessica Brody, released August 25, 2017
5. Carlos's Scavenger Hunt by Jessica Brody, released November 14, 2017

### Other

1. Mal's Diary, by Disney Book Group, released July 14, 2015
2. Secrets of Auradon Prep by Thea Feldman, released July 14, 2015
3. Mal's Spell Book by Disney Book Group, released July 14, 2015
4. Mal's Spell Book 2 by Disney Book Group, released June 20, 2017
5. Evie's Fashion Book by Disney Book Group, released July 18, 2017
6. Uma's Wicked Book by Disney Book Group, released July 31, 2018
7. The Villain Kids Guide for New VKs by Disney Book Group, released July 9, 2019
8. Audrey's Diary by Disney Book Group, released July 30, 2019

**TV Series:** Descendants: Wicked World | Season 1 | Season 2 | List of Descendants: Wicked World Episodes
**Other Media:** Descendants: School of Secrets | Under the Sea: A Descendants Story | Descendants Books
**Music:** Descendants | Descendants 2 | Descendants 3