Kristin Chenoweth to Play Maleficent in Disney Channel Movie

Broadway and television star Kristin Chenoweth will be taking on the role of the Sleeping Beauty villain Maleficent in Disney Channel’s original upcoming movie, Descendents. The film will focus on the lives of the teenage-children of classic Disney villains and heroes. Disney Channel star Dove Cameron is set to play Chenoweth’s daughter.

Descendents, set to premiere in 2015, also stars Booboo Stewart as Jay, son of Jafar; Sofia Carson as Evie, daughter of the Evil Queen; Cameron Boyce as Carlos, son of Cruelle de Vil; and Mitchell Hope as Ben, the son of Belle and the Beast.

Kenny Ortega, whose previous credits include High School Musical and Michael Jackson’s This Is It concerts, is directing the film. Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott, the writers of Runaway Bride, wrote the script.

Production for the film will begin in late May. Meanwhile, Disney’s bigscreen film Maleficent,starring Angelina Jolie, hits theaters May 30.