Descendants: The Rise of Red explained

Director:Jennifer Phang
Starring:Kylie Cantrall
Malia Baker
Ruby Rose Turner
Morgan Dudley
Dara Reneé
Melanie Paxson
Joshua Colley
Julee Cerda
Leonardo Nam
Paolo Montalban
Jeremy Swift
China Anne McClain
Rita Ora
Brandy Norwood
Peder Lindell
Composer:Torin Borrowdale
Country:United States
Language:English
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+

Descendants: The Rise of Red is a 2024 American musical teen fantasy comedy film directed by Jennifer Phang from a screenplay by Dan Frey and Ru Sommer. Produced by Disney Channel, the film is the fourth in the Descendants franchise, being a spin-off of the previous three films and a follow-up from .[1] The film was released on July 12, 2024 on Disney+, and made its debut on Disney Channel on August 9, 2024.[2]

Kylie Cantrall and Malia Baker star as Red (daughter of Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland) and Chloe Charming (daughter of Cinderella and Prince Charming from Cinderella), respectively. China Anne McClain and Melanie Paxton reprise their roles of Uma and Fairy Godmother, respectively, from previous Descendants films. Cinderella and King Charming are played by Brandy and Paolo Montalban, who previously played versions of the characters in the 1997 television adaptation of Cinderella.

With 6.7 million views in its first three days of streaming,[3] the film broke a record in its debut on Disney+ as Disney Branded Television's most-viewed premiere ever on the platform.[4]

Plot

Following the events of , Uma is now the headmistress and principal of Auradon Prep. Her first order of business is to open the border between Auradon and Wonderland by inviting Princess Red, the rebellious daughter of the tyrannical Queen of Hearts, to join the school.

Red and her mother travel to Auradon, where the Queen and Cinderella reunite for the first time since their days at Merlin Academy, the original name of Auradon Prep. The meeting quickly turns hostile as the Queen recalls a traumatic prank she endured during their time at school. During the opening ceremony, as Uma welcomes everyone, the Queen unexpectedly launches a coup, with her magical deck of cards, and takes the other attendees hostage. When Cinderella refuses to bow to the Queen, a reluctant Red is forced to condemn her to treason by beheading, delighting her mother but angering the crowd. In horror and guilt, Red tries to use a magic pocket watch to go back a few minutes in time and prevent the coup by stealing her mother's deck of cards, but is attacked by Cinderella’s perfectionist and kindhearted daughter Chloe, accidentally activating the watch and sending both girls to the past, when Auradon Prep was still called Merlin Academy. Believing they were sent for a reason, Red and Chloe begrudgingly agree to work together for the sake of their mothers.

Posing as exchange students, Red and Chloe enroll at Merlin Academy and meet Ella and Bridget, the teenage personas of Cinderella and the Queen of Hearts, and begin to seek ways to change the "present". They are shocked at their mothers' personalities, with Bridget being nice and Ella not wanting to join the royalty. They all hang out in the courtyard when they meet the younger versions of the villains and Uliana, Ursula's younger sister. After purposely eating too many of Bridget's enchanted flamingo feathered cupcakes, Uliana turns into a flamingo. When she does turn back into herself, she decides to take revenge on Bridget.

They decide to talk to Ella to find out more, and find out that Uliana hangs out at the Black Lagoon. Red and Chloe overhear the plan to give Bridget a cupcake that will turn her into a monster during the dance, using a sorcerer's cookbook. Realizing this must have been the prank that turned Bridget evil, Red and Chloe find the cookbook in Merlin's study, and after struggling with the defenses Merlin has put in place, they are successful. However, the villains are able to take it from them, but because the book should not fall "into the wrong hands," they are magically frozen, and Merlin discovers them and gives them detention. Red is able to hide the cookbook and the two of them head back to the present.

They return to the time Uma was giving her speech, and Queen gives the same lines she gave as the original timeline. Red is initially scared that nothing changed, but is relieved to see that her mom is wearing a lighter gown and creates a series of heart bubbles for the celebration. Through narration, Uma informs the audience that this is a happy ending, but hints that messing with the fabric of time can have dangerous consequences, and that the story is not over yet.

Cast

Dove Cameron, Mitchell Hope, Sofia Carson, Booboo Stewart and Cameron Boyce (posthumously) appear in archive footage scenes during the film's introduction as Mal, Ben, Evie, Jay and Carlos, respectively, from previous installments. They also appear, in addition to Sarah Jeffery, Brenna D'Amico and Thomas Doherty as Audrey, Jane and Harry, also from previous installments, in portraits from Uma's office.

Production

On August 18, 2021, following the release of the animated special , Lauren Kisilevsky, Disney Branded Television's Senior Vice President of Original Movies, responded to questions regarding the special's cliffhanger by saying that "[t]he tease is a tease", and was added due to the Descendants films ending with hints at additional stories, and also said that "Disney Channel would see where [they] get with the franchise".[7]

On September 21, 2021, a fourth Descendants film was confirmed to be in development as part of an overall deal between Disney and former Disney Branded Television president Gary Marsh's production company.[8] By May 2022, the film was greenlight by Disney+ as a spin-off under the working title of The Pocketwatch. Jennifer Phang was hired as director and co-executive producer, with Dan Frey and Russell Sommer writing the screenplay and Marsh executive-producing.[9]

On March 21, 2023, the official title for the film was announced as Descendants: The Rise of Red.[10] [11]

The costumes for Descendants: The Rise of Red were designed by Emilio Sosa.[12]

Filming

Filming for Descendants: The Rise of Red began in early January 2023 under its working title The Pocketwatch.[13] Mark Hofeling returned from the original trilogy as production designer.[9] Phang said she wanted the choreography during action sequences to still be able to tell an emotional story. For Wonderland's design, Phang used Alice in Wonderland (1951) as a reference while also drawing inspiration from her previous filmmaking experience.[14] Filming took place in Atlanta beginning at the end of January 2023 with plans to run through mid-March.[15]

Casting

The featured cast announced at the 2022 D23 Expo included China Anne McClain, who is returning to portray Uma, with Kylie Cantrall (as Red) and Dara Reneé (as Uliana) joining the cast of the film.[16] In November 2022, casting announcement revealed that Brandy Norwood was returning as Cinderella after playing the role in the 1997 film Cinderella and Melanie Paxson returned to the franchise as the Fairy Godmother. New cast members to the franchise were Rita Ora as the Queen of Hearts as well as Malia Baker, Ruby Rose Turner, Morgan Dudley, and Joshua Colley.[17] After filming had begun, Jeremy Swift and Leonardo Nam were announced as cast additions in February 2023.[18] In March 2023, it was announced that Paolo Montalban was cast as King Charming who, like Norwood, played a version of the character in the 1997 film Cinderella.[19] It was also announced in March 2023 that Alex Boniello was cast as the Jack of Diamonds.[5] Rita Ora commented that the star of the previous films Dove Cameron helped her prepare for her role as Queen of Hearts by giving her advice about the franchise and the Descendants universe.[20]

Visual effects

According to Phang, visual effects was used to "enhance" the locations featured in the film.

Music

See main article: Descendants: The Rise of Red (soundtrack). Descendants: The Rise of Red is set to feature 7 songs both original and from animated Disney films.[21] The first single "What's My Name (Red's Version)" was released on April 26, 2024, along with the pre-order of the soundtrack. The soundtrack was released on July 12, 2024, to coincide with the film's release.[22] The second single "Red" was released on June 21, 2024.[23]

Release

The trailer of Descendants: The Rise of Red generated 86 million views in 10 days and amassed 4.5 million total engagements.[24] It became Disney Branded Television’s most-watched trailer of all time in a 10-day window.[25] The film was released on Disney+ on July 12, 2024, followed by the linear premiere on Disney Channel in the United States on August 9, 2024.[26] The Rise of Red was temporarily removed from Disney+ a few days after its release on the platform.[27] The absence of an official statement from Disney has led to speculation that the removal may have been caused by a temporary technical glitch.[28]

Reception

Audience viewership

Descendants: The Rise of Red was watched by 6.7 million viewers in its first three days of streaming on Disney+.[29] [30] It became Disney Branded Television's highest original movie premiere on the streaming service.[31] [32] The film was the most watched streaming original movie during the week of 12 July – 18 July, 2024, with 1.1 billion minutes of watch time.[33] [34] It was the third most watched streaming original movie during the week of 19 July – 25 July, 2024, with 299.1 million minutes of watch time.[35] [36] The Rise of Red was the fourth most watched streaming original movie during the week of 26 July – August 1, 2024, with 141.8 million minutes of watch time and 1.5 million views.[37] [38] According to FlixPatrol, which monitors daily updated VOD charts across the globe, the movie reached Disney+'s number one film ranking in the United States on July 27, 2024,[39] and reached number two on August 11, 2024.[40] Analytics company Samba TV, which gathers viewership data from certain Smart TVs and content providers, reported that The Rise of Red was the eighth top streaming programs for the week of August 5-11, 2024.[41] [42]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 50% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.10/10.[43]

Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal of Parents praised how The Rise of Red reminds viewers that childhood experiences shape who people become, complimented the movie's emphasis on "girl power," saying characters like Red serve as strong role models, and stated the film depicts meaningful conversations between parents and children about personal growth and overcoming challenges.[44] Katelyn Mensah of Radio Times gave The Rise of Red a grade of four out of five stars, praised the performances of the actors, particularly Kylie Cantrall and Malia Baker, noting their strong chemistry and character development, complimented the diverse musical styles and the dynamic duets, especially between Cantrall and Rita Ora, and highlighted the film's positive themes of self-discovery, empowerment, and unexpected friendships.[45]

John Serba of Decider remarked that the film adheres to the Disney Channel's typical formula, citing vibrant visuals and upbeat atmosphere, noted that the new characters are not significantly different from the originals, suggesting fans of Descendants will likely enjoy them, and said that that Rise of Red delivers positive messages and expected feel-good experience, although without taking any creative risks.[46] Jennifer Green of Common Sense Media gave The Rise of Red a score of three out of five stars, noted the presence of positive messages and role models, citing empathy and treating others with kindness, but called the film "overstuffed."[47]

Impact

In July 2024, the soundtrack for The Descendants: The Rise of Red accumulated over 26 million streams across various platforms, while the hashtag "#Descendants" has garnered more than 95 million views in the United States and over 9 billion views globally.[48] [49] The track "Red" gained significant popularity on social media, generating numerous fan choreography covers and dance challenges on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.[50]

In other media

Prequel book

The novel Beyond the Isle of the Lost: Wonderland, fifth book in the series The Isle of the Lost, was published on May 7, 2024, serving as a prequel to the events of the film.[51] [52]

Merchandise

In early July, Mattel released the "Rise of Red" collection, featuring dolls from Descendants: The Rise of Red, including Brandy’s Cinderella, her daughter Princess Chloe, Bridget (the young Queen of Hearts), Uliana (the younger sister of Ursula), and Red (the daughter of the Queen of Hearts). Each doll includes 11 bendable joints and detailed costume recreations from the film. Some of the dolls were out of stock at certain retailers.[53]

Sequel

After the film's release, Suzanne Todd confirmed that Disney is "definitely working on and thinking about a follow-up movie," saying that after the end of The Rise of Red and the consequences of time travel, in the sequel "there will be future good and evil turns for sure."[54]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gibson . Kelsie . March 5, 2024 . China Anne McClain Says Returning for New Descendants Film Was Very 'Healing' — See the First Look (Exclusive) . March 5, 2024 . . en.
  2. Web site: Donnelly . Jim . April 28, 2024 . "Descendants: The Rise of Red" starts streaming Friday, July 12, exclusively on Disney+ Disney+ . 2024-08-01 . . en.
  3. Web site: Williams . Andrew . July 17, 2024 . Disney Plus has a new number one movie - and it's broken records . 2024-08-21 . . en.
  4. Web site: July 16, 2024 . ‘Descendants: The Rise of Red’ Is Disney Branded Television’s Biggest Movie Premiere Ever on Disney+ . 2024-08-01 . . en-US.
  5. Web site: Lynette . Rice . March 24, 2023 . Descendants: The Rise of Red At Disney+ Casts Alex Boniello As Jack Of Diamonds . Deadline.
  6. Web site: Johnson . Zach . July 9, 2024 . Meet the Characters of Descendants: The Rise of Red . D23.
  7. Web site: Cordero, Rosy . August 18, 2021 . 'Descendants': Disney Channel SVP Addresses ‘Royal Wedding’ Cliffhanger . July 20, 2024 . Deadline Hollywood.
  8. Web site: Andreeva, Nellie . September 21, 2021 . Gary Marsh Exiting As Head Of Disney Branded TV To Launch Disney-Backed Company With 'Peter Pan' & 'Witch Mountain' Offshoots, More 'Descendants' . Deadline Hollywood.
  9. Web site: Petski . Denise . May 10, 2022 . Descendants Sequel The Pocketwatch Movie Greenlighted By Disney+; Jennifer Phang To Direct . May 10, 2022 . Deadline Hollywood.
  10. 1638290038319357954 . descendants . You heard it here first — the next #DisneyDescendants movie is titled Descendants: The Rise of Red ❤ . Descendants . March 21, 2023 . April 13, 2024.
  11. Web site: March 22, 2023 . Descendants 4 Gets an Official Title Descendants: The Rise of Red . Laughing Place.
  12. Web site: Reif . Alex . July 20, 2024 . Interview: “Descendants: The Rise of Red” Costume Designer Emilio Sosa Shares How a Career in Theater Prepared Him to Outfit Auradon and Wonderland . 2024-08-21 . LaughingPlace.com . en-US.
  13. Web site: Chaudhry . Anubhav . April 22, 2024 . Descendants: The Rise of Red Release Date, Trailer, Cast & Plot . 2024-08-01 . . en-US.
  14. Web site: 2022-06-07 . Jennifer Phang Interview: The Flight Attendant & Disney's The Pocketwatch . 2022-07-17 . . en-US.
  15. Web site: Rajput . Priyanca . Disney's Descendants 4: The Pocketwatch to film in Atlanta, Georgia . . January 4, 2023.
  16. Disney Branded Television Presents Upcoming Slate of Films and Series at D23 Expo 2022 . Disney Branded Television . September 11, 2022 . September 11, 2022.
  17. Web site: Petski . Denise . Brandy & Rita Ora Among 7 Cast In Descendants Sequel The Pocketwatch At Disney+ . . . November 21, 2022.
  18. Web site: Petski . Denise . Descendants Sequel The Pocketwatch Disney+ Movie Adds Jeremy Swift & Leonardo Nam To Cast . . . February 2, 2023.
  19. Web site: Swift . Andy . Descendants: The Rise of Red Adds Paolo Montalban, Staging Cinderella Reunion With Brandy Norwood . . March 22, 2023.
  20. Web site: Rita Ora worked with Dove Cameron to prepare for Descendants: The Rise of Red . Mensah . Katelyn . 11 July 2024 . Radio Times.
  21. Web site: Hailu . Selome . April 2, 2024 . Descendants: The Rise of Red Teaser Introduces the Queen of Hearts' Rebellious Daughter and Reveals Summer Premiere Date . April 2, 2024 . . en-US.
  22. Web site: April 26, 2024 . China Anne McClain & Kylie Cantrall Perform "What’s My Name (Red Version)" From Descendants: The Rise Of Red Soundtrack In New Music Video . April 26, 2024 . Disney Plus Press . en.
  23. Web site: Atkinson . Katie . June 21, 2024 . Queen of Hearts' Daughter Caught 'Red'-Handed in Fiery New Music Video From Descendants: The Rise of Red . June 21, 2024 . Billboard.
  24. Web site: Campione . Katie . June 4, 2024 . ‘Descendants: The Rise Of Red’ Trailer Amasses 86M Views In 10 Days . 2024-08-01 . . en-US.
  25. Web site: Manning . Luke . June 4, 2024 . “Descendants: The Rise of Red” Trailer Breaks Most Watched Record for Disney Branded Television . 2024-08-01 . LaughingPlace.com . en-US.
  26. Web site: Swift . Andy . April 2, 2024 . Descendants: The Rise of Red Sets Disney+ Release Date; New Characters Revealed in Teaser Trailer . April 2, 2024 . . en-US.
  27. Web site: Palmer . Roger . July 19, 2024 . “Descendants: The Rise Of Red” Temporarily Removed From Disney+ . 2024-08-13 . What’s on Disney Plus . en-us.
  28. Web site: B. . Rishab . July 20, 2024 . Did Disney remove Descendants: The Rise of Red? Details explored . August 13, 2024 . Sportskeeda.
  29. Web site: Blevins . Adam . July 16, 2024 . This Disney+ Movie Just Broke a Major Viewership Record . 2024-08-01 . . en.
  30. Web site: Wood . Phil . July 17, 2024 . 'Descendants: The Rise of Red' Breaks Three-Day Disney+ Viewership Record - WDW News Today . 2024-08-01 . WDW News Today . en-US.
  31. Web site: July 16, 2024 . New ‘Descendants’ Movie Breaks Disney+ Record . 2024-07-31 . . en.
  32. Web site: Tate . Sarah . July 16, 2024 . Magical New Film Breaks Impressive Viewership Record On Disney+ . 2024-08-01 . . en.
  33. Web site: Hailu . Selome . July 20, 2024 . Luminate Streaming Ratings: Descendants: Rise of Red and Love Island USA Lead With 1.1 Billion Minutes Watched Each July 12-18 . July 24, 2024 . Variety.
  34. Web site: July 20, 2024 . Luminate Streaming Ratings: ‘Descendants: Rise of Red’ and ‘Love Island USA’ Lead With 1.1 Billion Minutes Watched Each July 12-18 . 2024-08-07 . . en-CA.
  35. Web site: Littleton . Cynthia . July 26, 2024 . Luminate Streaming Ratings: ‘Cobra Kai,’ ‘Love Island USA,’ ‘Find Me Falling’ and ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Top TV and Film Charts July 19-25 . 2024-08-01 . . en-US.
  36. Web site: July 27, 2024 . Luminate Streaming Ratings: ‘Cobra Kai,’ ‘Love Island USA,’ ‘Find Me Falling’ and ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Top TV and Film Charts July 19-25 . 2024-08-07 . . en-US.
  37. Web site: Littleton . Cynthia . August 2, 2024 . Luminate Streaming Ratings: ‘Dirty Pop,’ ‘Mayor of Kingstown,’ ‘Non Negotiable,’ ‘Knox Goes Away’ Climb in Sluggish July 26-Aug. 1 Frame . 2024-08-03 . . en-US.
  38. Web site: August 3, 2024 . Luminate Streaming Ratings: ‘Dirty Pop,’ ‘Mayor of Kingstown,’ ‘Non Negotiable,’ ‘Knox Goes Away’ Climb in Sluggish July 26-Aug. 1 Frame . 2024-08-07 . . en-GB.
  39. Web site: Coulston . John Connor . July 27, 2024 . Disney+'s Top 3 Movies Today (Saturday, July 27, 2024) . 2024-08-07 . . en.
  40. Web site: Coulston . John Connor . August 11, 2024 . Disney+'s Top 5 Movies Today (Sunday, August 11, 2024) . 2024-08-13 . . en.
  41. Web site: Latchem . John . August 17, 2024 . Samba TV: 'House of the Dragon' Tops Weekly Streaming Viewership Through Aug. 11 . 2024-08-21 . . en-US.
  42. Web site: Strain . Cole . August 16, 2024 . ‘House of the Dragon’ Slays the Streaming Top 10 — Even After the Season 2 Finale . 2024-08-21 . . en-US.
  43. Web site: Descendants: The Rise of Red . July 31, 2024 . Rotten Tomatoes.
  44. Web site: West-Rosenthal . Lauren Brown . July 9, 2024 . Disney’s ‘Descendants: The Rise of Red’ Features Past Mistakes and New Role Models . 2024-07-31 . . en.
  45. Web site: Mensah . Katelyn . July 11, 2024 . Descendants: The Rise of Red review – Meet the next generation of Disney superstars . 2024-08-07 . . en-GB.
  46. Web site: Serba . John . July 13, 2024 . ‘Descendants: The Rise of Red’ Disney Plus Movie Review: Stream It Or Skip It? . 2024-07-31 . . en-US.
  47. Web site: Green . Jennifer . Descendants: The Rise of Red Movie Review Common Sense Media . 2024-07-31 . . en.
  48. Web site: July 17, 2024 . Rita Ora's film broke the record in three days . August 21, 2024 . Koha.net.
  49. Web site: Campione . Katie . July 16, 2024 . Descendants: The Rise of Red Breaks Record With 3-Day Viewership On Disney+ . Deadline Hollywood.
  50. Web site: Decker . Trevor . July 22, 2024 . Kylie Cantrall’s “Red” From ‘Descendants: The Rise Of Red’ Goes Viral . August 21, 2024 . Trevor Decker News.
  51. descendants . Descendants . 1696206083755290843 . COVER REVEAL ALERT! Fall down the rabbit hole with a brand-new prequel adventure in the best-selling Descendants book series by Melissa de la Cruz, out May 7, 2024. August 28, 2023. October 2, 2023.
  52. Web site: Mack . Mike . August 28, 2023 . Cover Revealed for New “Descendants” Book “Beyond the Isle of the Lost” from Melissa De La Cruz . 2024-08-01 . LaughingPlace.com . en-US.
  53. Web site: Muhammad . Latifah . July 29, 2024 . ‘Descendants: The Rise of Red’ Dolls Are Selling Out Online: Here’s Where to Buy Brandy’s Cinderella Doll, Chloe, Red & More . 2024-08-21 . . en-US.
  54. Web site: Descendants EP Answers Our Burning Questions About Rise of Red: Bonus Songs, ‘Missing’ Characters and More . Swift . Andy . July 13, 2024 . TVLine.