‘Descendants 2’ continues tale of good vs. evil
The 2015 Disney Channel film “Descendants” drew enough viewers to make it the fifth most watched movie in cable TV history. The fact that it reached 12.2 million viewers domestically and has been seen by more than 100 million total viewers worldwide is the kind of thing that gets the attention of cable channel executives.
You would have to be goofy not to think the Disney Channel wouldn’t order a sequel. And they have. Once again, the cast of Dove Cameron, Cameron Boyce, Sofia Carson, Booboo Stewart and Mitchell Hope return to their roles as descendants of some of Disney’s most iconic good guys and villains in “Descendants 2,” airing at 8 tonight on ABC. The entire main cast has returned for the sequel plus there are some new faces. Here’s a quick look at a few of the stars of “Descendants 2.” Dove Cameron Plays: Mal, daughter of Maleficent
Also known for: She played Liv and Maddie Rooney on “Liv and Maddie.”
What kind of reaction she got from playing Mal: “I had a lot of mothers come up to me and tell me they were happy I was able to play such a strong female character. I had a lot of girls say Mal is their favorite because she’s so tough. Now that we have done the thing with the first film of getting to know the characters, this movie cranks up the action. The first film was like we were dating and now we are in a relationship with these people.” Cameron Boyce Plays: Carlos, son of Cruella de Vil
Also known for: Starred in “Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything.”
What he believes makes the franchise work: “It even goes past the original morals we tried to reach people with. The first movie was about finding out who you are, inclusion. Diving deep even if people say this isn’t who you are, you can chose who you want to be. They said it made them brave enough to go to school and stand up to bullies. Somehow they were empowered by it.” Sofia Carson She plays: Evie, daughter of the Evil Queen
Also known for: Starred in the TV movie “Adventures in Babysitting.”
What she’s wants viewers to get from the films: “There are so many beautiful messages in the whole ‘Descendants’ franchise. We were the kids that weren’t meant to fit in. We give that lesson that at the end of the day the most important thing in life is to be genuine to who you are. To know that our differences are beautiful. And that is a very important message for kids.” Booboo Stewart Plays: Jay, Son of Jafar Also known for: Played Seth in the “Twilight Saga.”
Why he thinks the fans like the franchise and why he likes it: “I think that it’s something refreshing. You see so many movies about princes and princess and everything is perfect. This is not perfect. The characters are anything but perfect. I think people connected with that. Because we were playing bad so much in the first film, it’s refreshing to play good. It’s nice when you are playing bad to be a little mean. The first time I found the voice again was when we were doing the songs. The songs embody everything that is ‘Descendants.’”