“High School Musical” helmer Kenny Ortega is back in biz with the Disney Channel, directing a telepic revolving around the children of notable Mouse House villains.
“Descendants” is set to begin production in the spring for a 2015 bow. Script was written by Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott (“The Starter Wife”).
Project is in keeping with Disney’s efforts to comb its archives for characters and concepts. “Descendants” plot revolves around the offspring of Disney heroes (King and Queen from “Beauty and the Beast,” Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Mulan, etc.) as well as the trouble-making kids of Cruella De Vil, Maleficent, the Evil Queen and Jafar.
“We mined Disney’s treasure trove of stories and developed a new, comedic approach to the fabled characters everyone knows and loves,” said Disney Channels Worldwide prexy-chief creative officer. “The result is a modern and unexpected re-interpretation of classic heritage characters utilizing contemporary, relatable settings and themes.”
Ortega is working with the same casting directors, Natalie Hart and Jason La Padura, who found the moppets for the “High School Musical” pics and Disney’s summer smash “Teen Beach Movie.”
