Hag & Con talk to Disney’s The Isle of the Lost Descendant’s Author Melissa De La Cruz
What made you want to write books for Disney? Con age 8
Disney Hyperion has been my publisher for over 12 years, they published Blue Bloods series in America which was my big vampire series. So I’ve been with them the longest and the day that they asked me to be part of the Descendants project was actually the same day I thought, ‘I want to write a fairy tale retelling’. I had actually just got off the phone with my agent and told them that for my next project, I wanted to do something in the fairy tale space. That day I was having lunch with Jean Mosa, who is vice president of Disney Consumer Products, which is over publishing, and she actually pitched me the Descendants and asked if I wanted to write the book series. I thought it was so funny because I just told my agent I wanted to do fairy tales and now you’re handing over me the biggest fairy tale of all, the whole Disney cannon. I was just so excited and signed up right away.
What Disney Villain scared you most as a kid and why? Hag age 10
That’s so funny because I feel like I was never scared of the villains, I felt like I related to the villains. They were my favorite characters. I always loved Malificent and thought she was so fabulous. She had this presence and was so scary; she was always so chic dressed all in black. She was always my favorite. I loved the evil step mother. I related to the villains because they always wanted something, they had all this ambition and kind of desire. I related to them never getting what they wanted, they are always defeated and always lose.
Who’s your favorite Disney Villain and why? Con age 8
Maleficent or the evil step mother!
Are any of the characters in your book based on people you know and if yes who are they? Hag age 10
I don’t think they are really based on any one I know but my characters always have a little part of me in them. I think the character who is probably closest to who I was as a kid is Carlos because he’s very shy and he’s a nerd, you know the smart kid at the back who is beat up and bullied. He was really fun to write and basically a lot like me as a kid.
If you could create a completely new Disney Villain what would they be like and what would they do? Con age 8
Interesting, you know I haven’t thought about that. I was really excited to write about the kids as villains and put a lot of originality into them, maybe if I was creating a whole new Disney villain, it would be nice to see one of the step mothers kids from Cinderella, because there’s a nephew who’s very handsome who’s the step mother’s grandson who’s in the book. It would be nice to write about the wicked step mother’s kids and what they’re like now.
If you were sent to an island full of all the things you hate – describe what it would be like? Hag age 10
Oh no! Maybe it would not have a lot of books in it. Maybe there would be nothing to do but play video games or something, because I do not do that at all! Maybe it would be an island that doesn’t have a lot of sweets haha. Like The Isle of The Lost where you’re living among the leftovers and old technology, I’m not so into new technology but I think if it was an island without a library or a book store then it would be a nightmare.
Disney’s The Isle of the Lost Descendant’s review CLICK HERE!!!
Disney’s The Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel will be available to purchase in stores across the UK from Thursday 2nd July- CLICK HERE TO READ PART OF CHAPTER ONE!!!
