No WayAll the ‘Descendants’ Facts You Should Know About: From the Original Movies to ‘Rise of Red’

‘Descendants’ Wasn’t Originally a Musical

Descendants features some of Disney’s catchiest songs, which might surprise you since it wasn’t originally meant to be a musical. Initially planned as an action-adventure-comedy, the project shifted gears when director Kenny Ortega came on board.

With Kenny’s legendary background in musicals like Newsies and High School Musical, it was a no-brainer to make it a musical. This change paid off with unforgettable openings and standout tracks like “Rotten to the Core” and “Ways to Be Wicked,” plus a meaningful duet that highlights female friendship rather than rivalry.

Zendaya Almost Starred in ‘Descendants’!

Cornelia Frame, former VP of Casting at the children’s network, disclosed that Zendaya auditioned multiple times to join the Descendants franchise.

“Zendaya did audition many times for Descendants, and that was a big deal,” Cornelia said during a July 2024 interview on the “Magical Rewind” podcast. “It was a really big deal. She auditioned over and over and really wanted it. It just ended up not going her way.”

“Now that I think about it, I’m like, ‘Would Spider-Man have happened right at that same time?’ Things happen for a reason, and you do often book this other thing that’s amazing when you don’t get something else.”

The former Disney Channel executive said Zendaya “put so much effort and so much work into it, too. It’s just one of those things.”

Booboo Stewart Auditioned For Prince Ben

Mitchell Hope perfectly captures the charmingly awkward Prince Ben, son of Queen Belle and King Adam. Interestingly, Booboo Stewart also auditioned for the role, but it’s common for actors to be reconsidered for different characters.

‘Descendants’ Was Sofia Carson’s First Movie

Cameron and Dove were both already part of the Disney Channel when they were cast, and Booboo was part of the Twilight franchise. Sofia, however, was a virtual newcomer who burst into the spotlight when she landed the role of Evie in Descendants, her first movie ever — and boy, what an amazing first project.

Cameron Boyce Actually Bleached His Hair

While Dove and Sofia spent ages donning vibrant wigs, Cameron bleached his dark brown hair platinum blonde to play Carlos for the first film.

The bleaching process took six hours and required tough upkeep. For the sequel, he switched to a wig, keeping his natural hair gelled back. In “Ways to Be Wicked,” they used the same fluffy wig from Descendants 2 but slicked it back to match the look from the first film.

Sofia Carson Auditioned For Audrey

Sofia Carson initially auditioned for the role of Audrey, Prince Ben’s girlfriend and daughter of Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip. The audition process spanned about three to four months, and although Sofia didn’t get Audrey, she eventually landed the role of Evie.

Sarah Jeffery was excellent as Audrey, but it’s intriguing to think about how Sofia might have portrayed the character.

The Creators Saved Ursula For ‘Descendants 2’

Though there were no initial plans for a sequel, the team knew Ursula would be featured due to her popularity. Despite her icon status, Ursula appears less than the other villains from the first film.

The sequel focuses on her daughter, Uma, played by China Ann McClain. Uma, with her sea-green braids and fringe outfits, channels Ursula’s vibe through her dancing, singing, and rapping. Ursula makes a brief appearance, voiced by Whoopi Goldberg, now running a fish and chip shop where Uma helps out.

Dove Cameron Helped Rita Ora Prepare for the Spinoff

Rita, who played the Queen of Hearts in Descendants: The Rise of Red, revealed that the former Descendants star helped Rita out for the spinoff!

“She really helped me on rediscovering all the characters and figuring it out,” Rita told RadioTimes.com. “And I just asked a lot of questions [and] I did a lot of research.”

Cinderella and Prince Charming Casting

Brandy and Paolo Montalban played Cinderella and Prince Charming in Descendants: The Rise of Red, reprising versions of the roles they previously played in the 1997 Wonderful World of Disney movie Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

Malia Baker Declined Auditioning for Chloe, Twice

Malia declined the opportunity to audition for Chloe not once, but twice, because she didn’t think she was a strong enough musical performer.

She told Teen Vogue, “My younger sister got so mad at me for turning the first two down that she was like, ‘You need to do this. This is the thing that I’ll think you’re cool for.'”

Rita Was a Huge Fan of Brandy

For Rita, was a huge full-circle working with Brandy, since the first concert she attended was a Brandy show!

Kylie Cantrall told the Laughing Place, “Rita meeting Brandy for the first time — she was kind of fangirling a little bit over Brandy, which, I mean, we all were, for sure. I get it. But it was just so cute witnessing their meeting and how well they got along. And there were even moments where Brandy was giving Rita advice.”

Sam Morelos’ Rapunzel Character Was Cut Out

Zellie, a young version of Rapunzel played by That ’90s Show star Sam Morelos, was cut because they “just literally ran out of real estate.”

“We had an incredible actress cast, and we had plans for her, but the movie is packed full,” executive producer Suzanne Todd told TVLine. “It’s stuffed to the gills with so many characters, so much plot, so much singing and dancing. We had originally planned for some characters to have a bigger part and just ran out of room.”