
The animated short film 'Descendants: The Royal Wedding' was released on Disney+ in the United States and Canada on September 17, 2021. The film follows the wedding of Mal and King Ben, with the original cast reprising their roles. The film was released on Disney Channel on August 13, 2021, and debuted on Disney+ around a month later. The 'Descendants' franchise has accumulated over 781 million hours of viewing in the United States, with each film being the most-watched television movie.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the movie | Descendants: The Royal Wedding |
| Date of release | 13 August 2021 |
| Streaming platform | Disney+ |
| Genre | Animated short film |
| Plot | Mal and Ben's wedding is the biggest event Auradon's ever seen, but Hades threatens to ruin it for Mal |
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What You'll Learn
- 'Descendants: The Royal Wedding' was released on Disney+ in the US and Canada on 17 September 2021
- The animated special follows Mal and King Ben's wedding
- The original cast reprised their roles
- A prequel animated short was released on the Disney Channel's YouTube channel
- The 'Descendants' franchise consists of three films, with a fourth rumoured

'Descendants: The Royal Wedding' was released on Disney+ in the US and Canada on 17 September 2021
The animated short film "Descendants: The Royal Wedding" was released on Disney+ in the US and Canada on 17 September 2021. It is the fourth instalment in the "Descendants" film series, which follows the lives of the teenage children of Disney villains who reside on the Isle of the Lost. The film series also led to the creation of several television series, short films, television specials, and novels.
"Descendants: The Royal Wedding" invites viewers to the most anticipated social event in Auradon: Mal and King Ben's wedding. The film features the original cast, including Dove Cameron as Mal, Sofia Carson as Evie, Booboo Stewart as Jay, Mitchell Hope as Ben, and China Anne McClain as Uma. The animated special also includes a brand-new song.
The film was first announced in March 2021 and debuted on the Disney Channel on 13 August 2021, immediately following the premiere of the new Disney Channel Original Movie, SPIN. On the same day, it was also released on the Disney Channel's YouTube channel.
The release of "Descendants: The Royal Wedding" on Disney+ in the US and Canada came about a month after its debut on the Disney Channel. This is in line with the expectation that Disney Channel originals will arrive on Disney+ on the same day as their official debut.
The film received mixed reviews, with some praising its ability to wrap up the story of Mal and Ben while setting up a new storyline for a potential next film. Others criticised the animation quality and the lack of synchronisation between the voices and the characters' mouth movements.
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The animated special follows Mal and King Ben's wedding
The animated special, Descendants: The Royal Wedding, follows Mal and King Ben's wedding. The film serves as a spin-off of the original Descendants trilogy and centres on the couple's wedding, which is threatened by Hades. The film was released on Disney+ in the United States and Canada on September 17, 2021, following its debut on the Disney Channel on August 13, 2021.
The film invites viewers to witness the highly anticipated wedding of Mal and King Ben, the power couple of Auradon. However, their happily-ever-after is threatened when Hades, Mal's father, destroys the wedding venue, causing him to flee. This sets off a chain of events that lead to a showdown on the Isle of the Lost, leaving the fate of the wedding uncertain.
The animated special features the original cast of the Descendants franchise, including Dove Cameron as Mal, Sofia Carson as Evie, Booboo Stewart as Jay, and Mitchell Hope as Ben. It also includes a brand-new song and is directed by Aliki Theofilopoulos Grafft, with Jenni Cook as the producer.
Descendants: The Royal Wedding received mixed reviews, with some praising its ability to wrap up the story of Mal and Ben while setting up a potential new storyline. However, some criticised the animation and the lack of synchronization between the voices and mouth movements. Despite this, the special was well-received by fans of the franchise, providing a satisfying conclusion to the character's journeys.
The release of Descendants: The Royal Wedding added to the growing list of spin-offs and sequels in the Descendants franchise, including Descendants: Wicked World and Descendants: The Rise of Red, with more sequels and spin-offs currently in development by Disney.
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The original cast reprised their roles
The animated special "Descendants: The Royal Wedding" features the original cast reprising their roles. Dove Cameron plays Mal, Sofia Carson plays Evie, Booboo Stewart plays Jay, Mitchell Hope plays Ben, Sarah Jeffery plays Audrey, Melanie Paxson plays the Fairy Godmother, China Anne McClain plays Uma, Jedidiah Goodacre plays Chad, Anna Cathcart plays Dizzy, Dan Payne plays Beast, Bobby Moynihan plays Dude the Dog, and Cheyenne Jackson plays Hades.
The special premiered on Disney Channel on August 13, 2021, and was later released on Disney+ in the United States on September 17, 2021. It is the first Descendants project announced after Cameron Boyce's death, and the absence of his character, Carlos, is addressed in the storyline. Boyce's memory is honoured in the broadcast.
The animated special follows Mal and Ben's wedding, the biggest event Auradon has ever seen. However, Hades threatens to ruin it all, leading to a showdown on the Isle of the Lost. The special also features a brand-new song and brings viewers back to the United States of Auradon for the highly anticipated social event.
In the special, Evie serves as Mal's dressmaker, Dizzy does her hair, and Audrey works as the party planner. Ben arrives, but the others try to prevent him from seeing Mal due to superstition. Ben reveals he brought Maleficent, and Mal shares that her father, Hades, will also be attending the wedding.
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A prequel animated short was released on the Disney Channel's YouTube channel
On November 6, 2020, an animated short prequel of the "Descendants: The Royal Wedding" television special was released on Disney Channel's YouTube channel. The prequel short follows Mal and Evie as they prepare for the royal wedding, with Dove Cameron and Sofia Carson reprising their roles. The animated special "Descendants: The Royal Wedding" aired on the Disney Channel on August 13, 2021, and was later released on Disney+ in the United States and Canada on September 17, 2021.
The animated short prequel and the subsequent special marked a departure from the previous "Descendants" films, as they were not full-length Disney Channel Original Movies. Despite this, the prequel and special were well-received by fans of the franchise, with the short successfully wrapping up the story of fan-favourite characters Mal and Ben while also setting up a potential new storyline for a future film. The special also featured a brand-new song and saw the return of the original "Descendants" cast, including Dove Cameron as Mal, Sofia Carson as Evie, and Booboo Stewart as Jay.
The plot of "Descendants: The Royal Wedding" centres on the wedding of Mal and Ben, the biggest event Auradon has ever seen. However, Mal's father, Hades, threatens to ruin the wedding, leading to a showdown on the Isle of the Lost that could change everything. The special also teases the spin-off film "Descendants: The Rise of Red", which was released on Disney+ on July 12, 2024, and will be followed by another sequel in the summer of 2026.
The "Descendants" franchise has been a huge success for Disney, with the original trilogy accumulating over 781 million viewing hours in the United States alone. The success of the films led to the creation of several spin-offs, including the animated series "Descendants: Wicked World", which premiered on September 18, 2015, and the upcoming "Descendants/Zombies: Worlds Collide Tour", set for the summer of 2025. With such a dedicated fan base and a wealth of new content on the horizon, the "Descendants" franchise shows no signs of slowing down.
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The 'Descendants' franchise consists of three films, with a fourth rumoured
The Descendants franchise currently consists of three films, with a fourth rumoured to be in development. The first film, "Descendants", debuted in 2015 as a Disney Channel Original Movie and follows the lives of four villainous teens – Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay – who are the children of Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Cruella de Vil, and Jafar, respectively. The film explores the struggle of these characters as they try to reconcile their parents' villainous pasts with their own emerging identities and strive to forge their own paths.
Following the success of the first film, a sequel, "Descendants 2", premiered in 2017, and a third film, "Descendants 3", debuted in 2019. Both films built upon the world and characters established in the first film, with new challenges, high-energy songs, and themes of friendship, love, and self-acceptance. The franchise has also spawned several short films, television specials, and a novel series that expands the "Descendants" universe.
In 2021, it was reported that two more Descendants films were in development. One of these films was confirmed to be "Descendants: The Rise of Red", a spin-off of the original trilogy that premiered on Disney+ in 2024. Following its release, executive producer Suzanne Todd confirmed that Disney is "definitely working on and thinking about a follow-up movie", with a release date scheduled for summer 2026. While the title of this fourth instalment, "Descendants: Wicked Wonderland", has been announced, it is unclear if this will be the title of the rumoured fourth film or if it refers to "The Rise of Red's" sequel.
In addition to the films, the "Descendants" franchise has also inspired a junior production of the film series, with a book by Nick Blaemire and additional lyrics by Madeline Smith. A Descendants/Zombies: Worlds Collide Tour, bringing together stars from both franchises, is set to take place in the summer of 2025.
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Frequently asked questions
'Descendants: The Royal Wedding' was released on Disney+ in the US and Canada on Friday, September 17, 2021.
'Descendants: The Royal Wedding' first aired on the Disney Channel on Friday, August 13, 2021.
'Descendants: The Royal Wedding' is about Mal and King Ben's wedding, which is threatened by Hades.


























