‘Secret Society of Second Born Royals’ Is an Original Story — With Very Original Takes
Updated Sept. 25 2020, 3:41 p.m. ET
Disney is no stranger to stories about superheroes and retelling fairy tales. From The Descendants to classics like Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, Disney has a way with creating stories of magic and fantasy with a cool twist.
With Disney+, Disney’s streaming platform, in full swing, the company has an entirely new way to create and release content. In September 2020, Disney+ released their newest original film, Secret Society of Second-Born Royals. Since its release, fans have been wondering if the fantasy film was based off a book before its screenplay was written. It turns out the film's creation was a little different from what fans expected.
‘Secret Society of Second-Born Royals’ is an original screenplay.
The film Secret Society of Second-Born Royals is considered to be a contemporary science fantasy action superhero film. The screenplay was co-written by Alex Livak and Andrew Green, based on an original story by the same writers plus Austin Winsberg. While the story may have been written before the screenplay, there is no published book that preceded the film.
According to Deadline, the film follows Sam, a rebellious princess second in line to the throne of the kingdom of Illyria. Sam has started to feel like the royal way of life isn't for her, but then she is stunned to learn that she has superpowers and belongs to a secret society with a longstanding tradition of covertly keeping the peace throughout the kingdom.
“With guidance from their Secret Society instructor James, Sam and a new class of royal recruits must first learn to harness their new powers at a top-secret training camp before they can save the world,” the Disney+ website reads.
Disney Channel’s 'Andi Mack' star Peyton Elizabeth Lee snagged the lead role.
Since she already had the connection to Disney, casting Peyton in the lead role was a no-brainer for the Secret Society team. “We are big fans of Peyton and are thrilled that she and the rest of the cast will bring this exciting world to life for Disney+,” said Agnes Chu, SVP Content for the streaming service. “We love the themes of self-discovery and empowerment inside Secret Society of Second Born Royals, and our partners at Disney Channel are the perfect team to deliver this movie with adventure, humor and heart.”
Before she was Sam in Secret Society of Second Born Royals, she was Andi Mack on Disney Channel. Her other credits include ABC’s Scandal and Showtime’s Shameless. She also has a voice role on Disney Junior’s The Lion Guard.
Disney executives were proud to cast Peyton and to say they could see her growth over the years from her time on Andi Mack to starring in her own original Disney+ film. “From the moment we first met Peyton, we knew she was special,” said Judy Taylor, SVP casting and talent relations for Disney Channels.
“It’s been an absolute joy to witness her growth as an actor over three seasons of Andi Mack. Her authenticity and confidence will seamlessly complement the talented ensemble cast that will bring this unique story to life.”
Fans are already loving the new Disney+ film.
One fan noted that the vibes she got from Secret Society of Second Born Royals reminded her of old school Disney Channel original movies from the early 2000s.
“guys secret society of second born royals on disney plus is so good i felt like i was watching a 2000s dcom,” she tweeted. Another fan who finished the film was already hitting up Peyton Elizabeth Lee on Twitter to see if she knew any buzz about a possible sequel. At this time, no sequel has been confirmed.
