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Villains continue to rule over at the Disney Channel. The Descendants franchise, which has remained strong since the inaugural 2015 movie, is back with its latest installment, Descendants: Wicked Wonderland. A direct sequel to 2024’s The Rise of Red, the movie marks the return of Kylie Cantrall and Malia Baker as Red and Chloe.
As the daughters of the Queen of Hearts and Cinderella, respectively, fairy tale royalty lives deep in their blood. But this time around, the pair has to face what “happily ever after” really means after returning from their time-traveling adventures. Set primarily in present-day Wonderland, the duo navigates their new reality while attempting to evade the antics of the villainous Maddox Hatter.
With one Descendants movie already under their belt, the performers leaned on their prior experience in the franchise to help them prepare for the intensive schedule. “We only have a few weeks to shoot this entire film that’s these over-the-top musical numbers. And then, of course, there’s this stunt training aspect and the dance training,” said Cantrall during an interview with BroadwayWorld, adding that frontloading much of the prep work helps the process.
Baker agrees: “It’s such an intense production in the way that everyone has done their due diligence. The same way that you have prepped, so has the camera department, so has the lighting, so has the set deck. Everyone is a family, in a sense, and if you’re not pulling your weight, somebody has to pull extra.”
Watch the full interview to find out which Broadway cast albums they would choose for their characters, or, in the case of Cantrall, herself: “I don’t know for Red, but for Kylie, Sunset Boulevard is my favorite show. I’m obsessed with that soundtrack.”
Descendants: Wicked Wonderland premiered on Disney Channel on July 16 and is now streaming on Disney+. The soundtrack, featuring 12 tracks, including 11 new original songs such as “Perfect Princess” and “Mad-Wicked Wonderland,” is available now.
Photo credit: Disney/David Astorga
