By Zach Johnson
The next chapter of the Descendants franchise includes two fan-favorite characters.
Today, Disney Branded Television announced that Brandy and Rita Ora will reprise their roles as Cinderella and the Queen of Hearts, respectively, in the fifth installment of the smash hit Descendants franchise — now officially titled Descendants: Wicked Wonderland.
Also returning are Paolo Montalban as King Charming and Melanie Paxson as Fairy Godmother, making Paxson the only actor to appear in all five Descendants films. Descendants: Wicked Wonderland is currently in production and will release in 2026 on Disney Channel and Disney+.
The now complete cast of Descendants: Wicked Wonderland includes Kylie Cantrall as Red, the Queen of Hearts' daughter; Malia Baker as Chloe, Cinderella's daughter; Liamani Segura as Pink, Red's sister; Brendon Tremblay as Max, Maddox Hatter's son; Alexandro Byrd as Luis, Luisa Madrigal's son; Kiara Romero as Hazel Hook, Captain Hook's daughter; Joel Oulette as Robbie, Robin Hood's son; Zavien Garret as Felix, Dr. Facilier's son; Ryan McEwen and Dayton Paradis as Squirmy and Squeaky, the Smee Twins; Leonardo Nam as Maddox, the Mad Hatter's son; Paxson as Fairy Godmother; Montalban as King Charming; Brandy as Cinderella; and Ora as the Queen of Hearts.
Descendants: Wicked Wonderland will explore what "happily ever after" really means for Red and Chloe following their time-traveling adventures in the 2024 movie Descendants: The Rise of Red. Set primarily in present-day Wonderland with a host of new and familiar characters, the upcoming Disney Channel Original Movie sequel will delve into the warning at the end of the previous movie: There are consequences when you alter the fabric of time.
Kimmy Gatewood directs Descendants: Wicked Wonderland from a script by co-executive producer Tamara Chestna and Dan Frey and Ru Sommer. Returning to the franchise are executive producers Suzanne Todd and Gary Marsh. Gatewood also serves as co-producer. Emmy® Award-winning choreographer Emilio Dosal is bringing the music-and-dance sequences — a hallmark of the Descendants franchise — to life.
In addition to Descendants: The Rise of Red, the first three Descendants films; the animated spinoff series Descendants: Wicked World; the animated special Descendants: The Royal Wedding; and three Descendants-inspired music videos are currently streaming on Disney+.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Descendants, which debuted on Disney Channel in July 2015. Since then, the franchise has dominated youth entertainment, with each of the first three films ranking as the most-watched cable movie of their year. In 2024, Descendants: The Rise of Red debuted on Disney+ as the most-watched original movie among Kids and Girls 6–11*, sparking over 10 billion social impressions**, and inspiring a top Halloween costume.*** The franchise also boasts gold-certified soundtracks, multiple Billboard No. 1s, and 57+ books — including a four-time New York Times bestselling series. The Descendants/ZOMBIES: Worlds Collide Tour will hit 43 arenas across North America this summer, celebrating the two fan-favorite franchises.
*Source: Nielsen, SCR, 1/1-12/29/24, based on total hours of streaming for all movies.
**Source: YouTube Analytics. Lifetime subscribers and impressions of Descendants YouTube Channel – Lifetime through 2/19/25.
***Source: Party City