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Disney sets next-week production start for ‘Hidden Heroes,’ a new film expanding the ‘Descendants’ universe
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Culture/The Apex Times/Aug 7, 9:09 AM EDT

Disney sets next-week production start for ‘Hidden Heroes,’ a new film expanding the ‘Descendants’ universe

The studio says the upcoming feature will center on the children of sidekicks from franchise films including ‘Aladdin’ and ‘The Emperor’s New Groove,’ bringing the next installment of Disney’s “Descendants” brand into development.

2 min readEditor-approved Apex article

Disney is expanding its “Descendants” universe with a new feature film, “Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story,” with production scheduled to begin next week, the company announced Friday. The project is designed to follow the offspring of sidekicks from the wider Disney animated canon, reframing the franchise’s familiar character network through the next generation of supporting figures.

The announcement positions “Hidden Heroes” as the latest entry in Disney’s “Descendants” branded storytelling, which has historically built audience attention around how well-known characters from earlier Disney films are reimagined in later settings. In this new film, Disney’s stated premise is that the children of selected sidekicks will take center stage, including characters connected to films such as “Aladdin” and “The Emperor’s New Groove.”

Disney’s casting and development plan, as outlined in Friday’s report, centers on Dior Goodjohn, who will star. The same announcement identifies Goodjohn’s previous on-screen work as including “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” and “Poser,” and it says the production has already assembled a “band of unsung heroes.”

Alongside Goodjohn, the report lists additional performers associated with the film’s ensemble: Eva Smedley, Harry Jones, Jacob Rodriguez, and Momona Tamada. The article also references the image used to accompany the announcement, captioned with the names of the actors identified in the casting update.

“Hidden Heroes” is being framed as a continuation and expansion of the “Descendants” universe rather than a standalone spin-off. Disney’s approach, according to the report, is to broaden the franchise’s character pool by focusing on the children of sidekicks, drawing from multiple Disney sources rather than centering on a single franchise origin.

The production timeline is the most concrete detail provided in the announcement: filming is set to start next week. Beyond that, the report does not specify a release date, production location, or distribution platform, and it does not provide additional creative credits beyond the casting and the premise.

As Disney moves the project into production, audience expectations will likely depend on how the studio translates the “sidekick children” premise into a story that fits within the existing “Descendants” tone and continuity. For now, the publicly stated next step is simply the start of filming, with the lead and ensemble identified as the immediate markers of where the franchise is headed.

Why It Matters

  • A production start next week puts the “Descendants” brand into active development sooner than many fans may be used to for franchise expansion announcements.
  • By focusing on sidekicks and their children, Disney is broadening the character framework the franchise uses to build family audiences around familiar names in new roles.
  • The project adds to Disney’s strategy of keeping franchise properties in continuous motion, which can affect internal production planning and talent scheduling across studios.
  • With casting set now for a lead and ensemble, the next public updates will likely center on additional creative credits and release timing, once filming begins.

Sources

Key Facts

  • Disney announced “Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story” as a new film in the “Descendants” universe.
  • Production for the film is set to begin next week.
  • The film’s premise centers on the children of sidekicks from films including “Aladdin” and “The Emperor’s New Groove.”
  • Dior Goodjohn is set to star.
  • The report also names Eva Smedley, Harry Jones, Jacob Rodriguez, and Momona Tamada in connection with the project.
Disney sets next-week production start for ‘Hidden Heroes,’ a new film expanding the ‘Descendants’ universe | The Apex Times