Descendants 2 Full of Action and More – Premieres July 21st #Descendants2Event
During a recent trip t LA, I had the privilege of sitting down with the cast of Descendants 2, including Dove Cameron (Mal), Sofia Carson (Evie), BooBoo Stewart (Jay) and Carmeron Boyce (Carlos). During the Radio Disney Music Awards, they announced the premiere date of Descendants 2 – Friday, July 21, 2017! Even more exciting is that it will air simultaneously on 5 stations including Disney Channel, ABC, Disney XD, Freeform and Lifetime.
China Anne McClain
A new addition to the cast is China Anne McClain as Uma, the daughter of Ursula. We asked China what it was like joining the cast of Descendants.
Joining the cast of “Descendants” was surreal for me. It was an honor because everyone loved the first film and I was a fan of the first film. I thought it was beautifully put together. Kenny Ortega is just great. I really wanted to work on it so when I got the call , I said, “Yes!”
She loves playing Uma, as she noted Ursula was truly one of her favorite villains. In Descendants 2, you will really see how China channels her own inner “Diva” and gives this character fun attitude and strength.
BooBoo Stewart
BooBoo Stewart reprises his role as Jay, son of Jafar. We quickly learned that Descendants has an AMAZING fan base not only nationally, but globally. BooBoo, of course is used to this as he was part of the sensational Twilight Saga as Seth.
We noted the extreme physicality of this movie and asked BooBoo what he does to train for intense musical numbers in Descendants.
I’m a very active person myself. I just got into climbing and I do martial arts. Every other day, I’m training in martial arts. I like hiking and camping.
What he wants young boys to take away from the movie:
I feel like this [lesson] is touched upon the first film, but even more so in this film. Young boys are very [competitive] and they want to be the best. And Jay, in the first film, is a [typical] guy. He wants to be the best.
Just having an open mind is such a different, rare thing for a young boy to have. So I’d like it to not even be a question that young people should have an open mind. It just should be how it is. Jay’s opening the door for the people to follow. I [want to] make sure young boys come out of it with more of an open mind.
Dove Cameron
When sitting down with Dove, it was evident to me very early on she was eloquently spoken, passionate and intelligent. She was filled with light and positive energy. When asked what it was like getting back into the role of Mal, daughter of Maleficent:
Everything that Mal was in the first one, we all are as a team, because a movie is such a collective experience. Kenny, the writers, and myself all threw [strict notions of Mal’s character] out the window because she, as a human goes through life changes and experiences. She never had anyone growing up and she couldn’t ever really find her footing with the one person that she did have to rely on [her mother, Maleficent]. So she learned to rely on herself.
In the second movie, when we pick back up, she now knows what it feels like to be authentically loved and to have a space held for her to be supported. Just like any other human, you gravitate towards whatever you’re used to, and so she has no idea how to deal with that. It’s almost impacting her negatively, because she’s thinking, “Oh, I only know how to build up my walls. I don’t even know how to function without my walls.” Now she has to start over and find what is [her authentic identity] for the first time in her life. Throughout the movie she goes through a lot of incarnations of what she thinks Mal is, and doesn’t really find herself until the end. That was a weird experience for me as an actress, to feel like I knew the character really well, and then to lose her as she’s losing herself, and then to find her as she finds herself.
Mal heads back to the Isle of the Lost as pressure mounts to fit into a royal life as Ben’s girlfriend, who is now King of Auradon. She encounters Uma, Ursula’s daughter, and discovers that Uma has taken over in Mal’s place as rule of the Isle. What transcends from there is nothing short of amazing and delightful.
Sofia Carson
Sofia Carson reprises her role as Evie, daughter of the Evil Queen. Evie has a natural gift for creating, more particularly, designing fabulous looks. She has a soft heart and warm spirit for being the daughter of a villain. We wanted to know if we see a different, more villainous side of Evie in Descendants 2.
You’ll see a different side of Evie because in the first film, when we met her, Evie was very much her mother’s daughter. She was very consumed in what she looked like and she was sadly willing to believe that her reflection in the mirror is what defined her as a person. At the end of the movie, she realized that as girls, looks do not define us. That doesn’t make us more important or beautiful or special. It’s who we are in our hearts and to be the fairest of them all is to be fair inside.
In the second movie, Evie has really grown into herself. She is strong and independent. She’s smart. She’s a fashion designer. She has made her dream come true without a prince and she’s become a leader. At the same time, her best friend Mal, [who is like] her sister, is lost and really confused. Their relationship is really beautiful and important and it’s a story of girl power, which I love.
Cameron Boyce
Cameron Boyce returns in his role as Carlos, son of the infamous Cruella de Vil. We asked Carlos if he expected Descendants to become the pop culture sensation that it is, when filming the first movie.
You had the feeling because of the people that you’re working with, specifically Kenny Ortega, with his resume and “High School Musical” and things of that nature. So going in, we felt like if we all really bought into it, it could be something special. And I think we accomplished that. That’s why we’re so excited for the second one to come out – because people are going to flip their [lids] and that’s exciting.
Carlos is quite the dancer, and he noted his personally training helped tremendously in portraying Carlos.
I have been a dancer since I was in preschool. I danced ever since I was six. Then I started acting, but obviously doing this movie is the most fun for me because not only do I get to act, which is amazing, but I get to dance too. It’s like the best of both worlds for me.
Be sure to stay fully connected with Disney Channel for all of the latest news and information on this and other amazing animated shows. Also, check out this sneak peek of “Ways to Be Wicked”, a new song from Descendants 2.
