Descendants: The Rise of Red
A spin-off following Red and Chloe through time.
Descendants: The Rise of Red, a 2024 American musical teen fantasy comedy, was directed by Jennifer Phang with a screenplay by Dan Frey and Ru Sommer. Disney Channel produced this fourth installment of the Descendants franchise, which acts as both a spin-off from the earlier three films and a direct sequel to Descendants: The Royal Wedding (2021). It premiered on Disney+ on July 12, 2024, and later aired on Disney Channel on August 9, 2024.
The film follows Red, the rebellious daughter of the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, played by Kylie Cantrall, and Chloe Charming, the perfectionist and kindhearted daughter of Cinderella and Prince Charming from Cinderella, played by Malia Baker. China Anne McClain and Melanie Paxson return as Uma and the Fairy Godmother, respectively, from prior Descendants movies. Brandy and Paolo Montalban portray Cinderella and King Charming, having previously played those same roles in the 1997 television adaptation of Cinderella.
Critics gave Descendants: The Rise of Red generally mixed reviews. Despite this, it set a record for Disney Branded Television by becoming the most-viewed premiere ever on Disney+, drawing 6.7 million views in its first three days of streaming. It went on to lead as the top streaming original movie for a week and held strong rankings through July and early August 2024, ultimately becoming Disney+'s most-streamed live-action original movie since Hocus Pocus 2. A sequel, Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, followed in 2026.
The plot begins shortly after King Ben and Mal's wedding, with Uma now headmistress of Auradon Prep. She opens the border to Wonderland by inviting Princess Red to the school, over the Fairy Godmother's objections. In Wonderland, Red's tutor Maddox Hatter shows her a magic pocket watch that can travel through time, suggesting she could use it to help her mother, who was once good. Red steals the watch. When Red and her mother arrive in Auradon, the Queen of Hearts and Cinderella have a hostile reunion over a traumatic prank from their school days at Merlin Academy. During the opening ceremony, the Queen launches a coup with her magical deck of cards, taking hostages. When Cinderella refuses to bow, Red is forced to condemn her to death. Guilt-ridden, Red tries to use the watch to go back minutes and stop the coup, but Chloe attacks her, accidentally sending both girls to the past
- release_date
- July 12, 2024 (Disney+)
- director
- Jennifer Phang
- screenwriters
- Dan Frey and Ru Sommer
- production_company
- Disney Channel
- franchise
- Descendants
- lead_actors
- Kylie Cantrall and Malia Baker
- platform
- Disney+ and Disney Channel
Quick Facts
- Director
- Jennifer Phang
- Writer
- Dan Frey · Ru Sommer
- Composer
- Torin Borrowdale
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Executive Producer
- Suzanne Todd / Gary Marsh
- Producer
- Wendy S. Williams
- Cinematography
- Declan Quinn
- Editor
- Katie Ennis
- Runtime
- 94 minutes
- Company
- Suzanne Todd Productions / Potato Monkey Productions / GWave Productions, LLC. / Disney Channel
- Network
- Disney+
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film follows Red, daughter of the Queen of Hearts, and Chloe Charming, daughter of Cinderella and King Charming, as they travel back in time to prevent the Queen of Hearts from becoming tyrannical. Uma, now headmistress of Auradon Prep, opens the border to Wonderland, inviting Red to the school. After the Queen of Hearts launches a coup, Red and Chloe accidentally use a magic pocket watch to travel to the past, when Auradon Prep was called Merlin Academy. There, they meet their mothers as teenagers and attempt to change history.
Reader's Guide
Descendants: The Rise of Red received generally mixed reviews from critics but achieved significant viewership, with 6.7 million views in its first three days of streaming, making it Disney Branded Television's most-viewed premiere ever on Disney+. It became Disney+'s most-streamed live-action original movie since Hocus Pocus 2. The film expanded the Descendants universe by introducing characters from Wonderland and exploring the backstory of the Queen of Hearts. A sequel, Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, was released in 2026.
Did You Know?
- The film broke a record as Disney Branded Television's most-viewed premiere ever on Disney+ with 6.7 million views in its first three days.
- Brandy and Paolo Montalban, who play Cinderella and King Charming, previously played versions of those characters in the 1997 television adaptation of Cinderella.
- The working title for the film was The Pocketwatch.
- Filming took place in Atlanta beginning at the end of January 2023 through mid-March.
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