Disney has found new faces for The Emperor’s New Groove‘s Yzma and Kronk for the upcoming crossover movie. Disney announced the arrival of the project on August 7, 2026.
Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story will expand the Descendants franchise as the spotlight shifts to the children of Disney’s sidekicks. While Disney has already announced the cast, two major names have been signed for the upcoming project.
Yzma and Kronk from The Emperor’s New Groove will come in Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story. Sherry Cola will play the role of Yzma, while Hugo Ateo will be featured as Kronk, per Deadline.
The previous Descendants films focused on famous Disney heroes and villains. The narrative for Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story will follow a group of young people who aspire to become sidekicks. They would secretly join Sidekick Academy and work their way up to becoming heroes.
The synopsis of the film, per Fandom, reads, “Hidden in the center of each fairy tale is a portal to a secret training facility where the descendants of legendary sidekicks are challenged to join the elite ranks of partners to heroes. When a villainous duo comes to Sidekick Academy, a group of fresh recruits must band together — without heroes, without parents — using only their new skills to save the fairytale realm before it’s too late.”
What other Disney characters are appearing in Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story?
The cast for Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story features Dior Goodjohn as Jennie, the daughter of Genie from Aladdin, and Momona Tamada as Zara, the daughter of Yzma. Alongside them, the movie will have Darren Criss as Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio, and James Monroe Iglehart as Genie from Aladdin. Jacob Rodriguez will play the role of Kronk Jr., Kronk’s son. Eva Fossaceca Smedley will be Meri, the daughter of Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty.
The other Disney characters who will be appearing are Sean Yves Lessard as Lumière from Beauty and the Beast, Harry Jones as Loud, the son of Lumière from Beauty and the Beast, Bakkedahl as Yen Sid from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice in Fantasia, and Rhys Dawkins, Connor Wong, and Kyra Wong as the Potts siblings.
The teen drama will be directed by Jude Weng. Reflecting on the upcoming film, Ayo Davis, the President of Disney Kids and Family, said, “With Hidden Heroes, we’re finally putting the sidekicks center stage, because they’ve always been an essential part of Disney’s greatest adventures. It’s a fun, surprising new chapter that expands the Descendants universe with all the music, dance and heart fans love and expect from the franchise.”
According to Abc7 Chicago, the project would enter production in August 2026.
Originally reported by Disita Sikdar on ComingSoon.
