Disney Channel’s Descendants 2 update: soundtrack preview and new sweepstakes

We’re inching closer to the summer release of Disney Channel’s highly anticipated “Descendants 2,” and with that, some exciting information about our favorite wayward children of Disney’s popular villains. First, the release date has been announced — July 21. Second, the movie will be available on five networks simultaneously — Disney Channel, Disney XD, ABC, Freeform and Lifetime.

The soundtrack, which also will be available July 21, can be pre-ordered now, and fans who do this will immediately be able to download four of the singles. They are: “Ways to be Wicked,” “Better Togather,” “Evil” and “Rather Be.” The last three comes from “Descendants: Wicked World,” which are animated shorts that air on Disney Channel.

The rest of the album track list includes:
“What’s My Name”
“Chillin’ Like a Villain”
“Space Between”
“It’s Goin Down”
“You and Me”
“Kiss the Girl”
“Pour Unfortunate Souls”

Fans also can get into that wicked spirit by entering the Disney Descendants 2 and You Sweepstakes. The grand prize is a trip to Los Angeles for one lucky winner and three guests. They will be transformed into the Descendants 2 characters of their choice and meet actors Sofia Carson and Cameron Boyce. The three-day/two-night trip will be showcased on Disney Channel. Fifty first-prize winners will each receive $100 Best Western Travel Cards redeemable at any Best Western branded hotel.

You must be between the ages of 6 and 18 at the time of entry and a legal resident of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia to enter. Contestants can enter at Disney.com/you for free, through the Disney Channel app or text the word “YOU” to 347639. Standard text message and data charges may apply. One entry per day is allowed, regardless of method. The sweepstakes ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on Sept. 3, 2017. Click here for Official Rules.

Disney Channel is describing Descendants 2 this way: “When the pressure to be royally perfect becomes too much for Mal, she returns to her rotten roots on the Isle of the Lost where her archenemy Uma, the daughter of Ursula from The Little Mermaid, has taken her spot as self-proclaimed queen of the run-down town. Uma, still resentful over not being selected by Ben to go to Auradon Prep with the other Villain Kids, stirs her pirate gang including Captain Hook’s son Harry and Gaston’s son Gil, to break the barrier between the Isle of the Lost and Auradon, and unleash all the villains imprisoned on the Isle once and for all.”

Booboo Stewart, Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson and Cameron Boyce will reprise their roles as Jay (son of Jafar), Mal (daughter of Maleficent), Evie (daughter of the Evil Queen) and Carlos (son of Cruella de Vil), respectively. Kristin Chenoweth returns as Maleficent, too. Plus, newcomers Thomas Doherty (Harry, the son of Peter Pan’s Captain Hook), China Anne McClain (Uma, daughter of The Little Mermaid’s Ursula) and Dylan Playfair (son of Beauty and The Beast’s Gaston) join the cast.

Kenny Ortega returns as the director, executive producer and choreographer of the sequel, which is as much of an early indicator of success as you can get. After all, Ortega is the force behind Disney Channel’s biggest franchise, “High School Musical.” Since its debut, “Descendants” ranks as cable television’s fifth highest-rated movie of all-time. It only falls behind “High School Musical 2” as the most-watched movie on Disney Channel.