'DESCENDANTS 3' WAS ANNOUNCED TO DISNEY CHANNEL VIEWERS TONIGHT IN A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM 'MAL' WHO HINTS AT A NEW VILLAIN WHO'S SET TO JOIN THE STORY

A legion of "Descendants" fans received confirmation of the long-awaited news of a "Descendants 3" movie tonight, via an interstitial that aired during a programming event for Disney's "ZOMBIES" on Disney Channel. The intriguing message, featuring "Mal" (daughter of Maleficent), alludes to a new villain character - Mal's father - joining the hugely popular story of the teenage sons and daughters of Disney's most infamous villains. Loyal fans have suspected and even demanded a "trequel" and have skillfully tracked clues across social media and the internet of recent pre-production activities in Vancouver, Canada. "Descendants 3" will begin production there in summer for a debut next year on Disney Channel.

Emmy(R) and DGA Award-winning director Kenny Ortega ("Descendants," "High School Musical" trilogy) is the director, executive producer and choreographer.

Reprising their roles are Dove Cameron as Mal, Cameron Boyce as Carlos, Sofia Carson as Evie, Booboo Stewart as Jay, Mitchell Hope as King Ben and China Anne McClain as Uma. Additional casting for "Descendants 3" will be announced at a later date.

Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer, Disney Channels Worldwide, said, "By adding a modern twist to Disney's most treasured heritage properties, the world of 'Descendants' has become an instant classic. We're thrilled that the creative team that conceived and launched this global phenomenon is back to dive deeper into these characters and the imaginative world from which they come."

"Descendants 2" has reached more than 71.5 million total viewers across 159 countries and 32 languages. Music videos from "Descendants" and "Descendants 2" have nearly two billion global views and the "Descendants 2" soundtrack was the #1 album on iTunes and in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart. In the U.S. for Halloween 2017, "Descendants 2" costumes were the top three selling Halloween costumes at Disney Stores and the #1 costume at Party City. More than three million "Descendants" and "Descendants 2" dolls have been sold, and more than four million "Descendants" related books have been sold including three popular young adult novels that were featured on the New York Times Best Sellers List.

The primetime programming event for "ZOMBIES" was chock full, including two presentations of a new "Andi Mack" episode; announcement of the finalists of Disney Channel's "ZOMBIES" Spirit Challenge; a look at Disney Channel's update of the American classic "Freaky Friday," a Disney Channel musical comedy set for summer; a Black History Month message from "Raven's Home" stars Issac Ryan Brown and Navia Robinson; and special content from Marvel Studio's "Black Panther," Disney's "A Wrinkle in Time," Disney/Pixar's "Incredibles 2," and Marvel Studio's "Avengers: Infinity Wars" introduced by actor Tom Holland.

Writers Sara Parriott and Josann McGibbon ("The Starter Wife," "Runaway Bride," "Descendants," "Descendants 2"), who won a 2016 Writers Guild Award for "Descendants," are the writers of "Descendants 3" and will also serve as executive producers. Kara Saun ("Descendants," "Descendants 2," "Project Runway") is the costume designer. The production designer is Mark Hofeling ("Descendants," "Descendants 2," "High School Musical," "ZOMBIES"). Shawn Williamson ("Descendants 2," "Adventures in Babysitting") is the producer. Additional news on the creative team will be released at a later date.

[Nielsen Media Research]