The kids of Sidekick Academy have their parents, and one of them is returning to a role he already owns. Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story has added six new cast members as iconic Disney characters, with Darren Criss as Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio, Joy Ride and Good Trouble star Sherry Cola as Yzma from The Emperor’s New Groove, James Monroe Iglehart as Genie from Aladdin, Hugo Ateo as Kronk from The Emperor’s New Groove, Sean Yves Lessard as Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast, and Veep veteran Dan Bakkedahl as Yen Sid, the sorcerer from Fantasia’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
Iglehart Gets His Genie Back
The casting everyone will circle is Iglehart, who won the Tony Award for playing the Genie in the original Broadway production of Aladdin and now steps back into the character on screen. He is one of four new parents whose children were announced when the movie was greenlit in August: his Genie is the father of Jennie, played by Percy Jackson and the Olympians star Dior Goodjohn.
Criss and Bakkedahl are the wildcards. Jiminy Cricket and Yen Sid were not among the sidekicks whose children were announced, and Disney has not said how either character fits into the story or whether either has a child at Sidekick Academy. Criss, the Glee alum who won an Emmy for The Assassination of Gianni Versace, gives the film its second Broadway heavyweight alongside Iglehart.
Sidekick Academy Takes Shape
Hidden Heroes follows the descendants of legendary sidekicks training at a secret facility hidden at the center of every fairy tale, and it is a new branch of the Descendants franchise rather than a sequel to Red and Chloe’s story. The student cast announced at the greenlight includes Goodjohn, Momona Tamada as Yzma’s daughter Zara, Jacob Rodriguez as Kronk Jr., Eva Fossaceca Smedley as Merryweather’s daughter Meri, Harry Jones as Lumiere’s son Lou, and Rhys Dawkins, Connor Wong and Kyra Wong as the Potts Siblings.
Jude Weng directs the music-driven movie for Disney Channel and Disney+, from a script by Tamara Chestna, Eydie Faye and Emma Fletcher, with production that got underway in August.
Filming Has Wrapped
Filming wrapped less than two months after the movie was first announced, with the news shared through the official Descendants social media channels. The film is produced by Disney Kids & Family, the recently renamed division behind the franchise. Disney has not given the movie a premiere date or release window.
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