Disney is expanding its Descendants franchise with a new film, Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story, centred on the children of famous Disney sidekicks rather than traditional heroes or villains. The production signals a new direction for the musical fantasy series, using familiar characters and settings to introduce a new generation of protagonists.

Production begins next week, with Dior Goodjohn playing Genie’s daughter Jennie, Momona Tamada as Yzma’s daughter Zara, and Jacob Rodriguez as Kronk Jr. The story follows recruits at Sidekick Academy who must protect the fairy-tale realm from villains without help from their parents or heroes; Jude Weng will direct a script by Tamara Chestna, Eydie Faye and Emma Fletcher.