The ‘Descendants’ Franchise Goes Deeper Into Wonderland and the Official Trailer Proves It Was Worth the Wait
Disney’s ‘Descendants’ franchise has always had an uncanny ability to evolve its world with each new chapter, and the fifth film in the beloved saga looks set to be no exception. Building on a sequel to ‘Descendants: The Rise of Red,’ the upcoming installment continues the story of Red and Chloe as they navigate the aftermath of their time-traveling adventures, with Wonderland itself now fully merged into Auradon as the Rabbit Hole stands open for everyone.
That momentum has only been amplified by what the previous film achieved. Per TheWrap, ‘Descendants: The Rise of Red’ racked up more than 33 million viewing hours over its first 12 weeks of release on Disney+, making it the platform’s most-watched live-action original movie since ‘Hocus Pocus 2.’ The franchise has also amassed nearly one billion hours of viewing across linear and streaming in the US, with ‘The Rise of Red’ debuting as the most-watched original movie among kids and girls aged six to eleven.
Now the official trailer for ‘Descendants: Wicked Wonderland’ has arrived, and it sets the stage for what looks like the most high-stakes chapter yet. The story centers on an unexpected villain who attempts to harness the magic of Wonderland for their own gain during the Kingdom Cup Games, forcing Red and Chloe to fight back while also grappling with the consequences of changing the past. Lurking in the shadows is Maddox Hatter, now transformed into a ruthless villain determined to uncover the hidden time-traveling pocket watch and bend time itself to his will.
Returning to the franchise alongside leads Kylie Cantrall and Malia Baker are Brandy and Rita Ora, reprising their roles as Cinderella and the Queen of Hearts, with Melanie Paxson and Paolo Montalban also back as Fairy Godmother and King Charming. March also brought the announcement that Awkwafina will lend her voice to a brand-new character named Cheesy, a fresh take on the iconic Cheshire Cat. Fresh faces joining the cast include Liamani Segura as Pink, Kiara Romero as Hazel Hook, and Alexandro Byrd as Luis Madrigal, expanding the ‘Wicked Wonderland’ world considerably.
Behind the camera, Kimmy Gatewood directs from a script by co-executive producer Tamara Chestna alongside Dan Frey and Ru Sommer, with Emmy Award-winning choreographer Emilio Dosal handling the brand-new music and dance sequences. The film also makes franchise history, as ‘Descendants: Wicked Wonderland’ breaks a 30-year record for Disney Channel’s DCOM catalog by becoming the franchise with the most installments, surpassing ‘Halloweentown,’ ‘High School Musical,’ and ‘Zombies,’ which each had four entries.
The film is set to premiere on Disney Channel on July 16, with fans able to stream it on Disney+ just one day later on July 17. With a trailer now in the wild and the summer date locked in, the excitement around Wonderland’s wickedest chapter is only going to build from here, and there’s plenty to debate about where Red and Chloe’s story goes next, so what did you make of the trailer and are you rooting for them to outsmart Maddox Hatter once and for all?
