Brandy and Paolo Montalban Have a "Cinderella" Reunion in New Descendants Movie "The Rise of Red"

Descendants fans, get ready: Brandy has officially stepped back into her glass slippers! The singer and actor is reprising her role as Cinderella in a new Descendants movie, originally titled "The Pocketwatch" but now known as "Descendants: The Rise of Red," and we finally have a first look at her regal character back in action. On March 22, 2023, Disney+ confirmed that Brandy will reunite with her now-King Charming, aka Prince Christopher (Paolo Montalban) from the 1997 "Cinderella," in the next film installment, which still doesn't have a set release date.

The streamer revealed the pair's big reunion with a video of them all dressed up in their royal outfits. In a caption, Disney+ wrote, "A royal occasion. ✨ King Charming (@itspaolomontalban) and Cinderella (@brandy) have joined the upcoming Original movie, Descendants: The Rise of Red!"

Brandy first celebrated her casting news in an Instagram post on Nov. 21, 2022, writing, "So excited to join this amazing cast and reprise my role as #Cinderella in the #DisneyDescendants sequel The Pocketwatch. Thank you to my @disney and @disneyplus fam." Singer Rita Ora has also joined the project as the Queen of Hearts.

Contrary to popular belief, the next Descendants film isn't a continuation of the original movie trilogy, but rather a new story with new characters all set in the same universe. Disney first announced the movie back in May 2022, writing in a press release at the time that it's set in "the hostile unincorporated territory of Wonderland, a magical, mysterious place made famous in 'Alice in Wonderland.'" The film will introduce Red, the "whip-smart and rebellious teenage daughter of the Queen of Hearts," and Chloe, "the perfectionist and athletic daughter of Cinderella and Prince Charming." With a coup brewing in Auradon — right when the kingdom is celebrating a new royal baby — the pair join forces to go back in time, using the White Rabbit's pocket watch, to stop a dangerous event from occurring.

"Descendants: The Rise of Red," written by Dan Frey and Russell Sommer, will be directed by Jennifer Phang. Disney says the movie will feature seven new songs — plus classic Disney tunes — and premiere exclusively on Disney+.

"Descendants 3" premiered on Disney Channel back in 2019, and it seemed that the studio wasn't going to revisit the universe and its characters. After the untimely passing of Cameron Boyce, who played Cruella de Vil's son Carlos, it was hard to imagine a film following the franchise's main characters without him.

"Descendants 3" ends with Carlos racing toward The Isle of the Lost alongside Mal, Evie, and Jay. Though it doesn't necessarily suggest a conclusion, viewers noticed something missing. The previous two Descendants films end with the line, "You didn't think this was the end of the story, did you?" In "Descendants 3," the final line is conspicuously absent.

On the day of "Descendants 3"'s release, one of the film's stars, Sofia Carson, shared a picture of her character on Instagram and her caption seemed to suggest that she was saying goodbye to the role. "My Dearest Evie," she wrote. "As I write this, I cannot bring myself to say goodbye to you . . . but this is not a good bye. You and I are bound at the heart from here until eternity. And until then I will love you, Evie. Forever and for always."

Back in May 2019, before Boyce's passing, Dove Cameron, another one of the film's stars, shared a series of now-deleted pictures on Instagram alongside a caption that claimed she had just recorded her last song for the Descendants, and no, not just for "Descendants 3." "Just had the best recording session of my whole life, and it just so happened to be my last ever #descendants song," she wrote, calling it a "bittersweet moment."

As we wait to find out more details about "Descendants: The Rise of Red," scroll ahead for everything we know so far.

Joining Brandy as Cinderella and Ora as the Queen of Hearts are Malia Baker as Chloe, Cinderella's daughter; and Kylie Cantrall as Red, the Queen of Hearts's daughter. China Anne McClain plays Uma and Dara Reneé plays Ulyana, both Ursula's daughters. Joshua Colley is Hook; Morgan Dudley is Ella, the young Cinderella; Ruby Rose Turner is Bridget, the young Queen of Hearts; and Paolo Montalban reprises his Prince Charming character, now King Charming. Lastly, Melanie Paxson is reprising her role as the Fairy Godmother.

The Disney+ film will be directed by Phang and was written by Frey and Sommer.