The Descendants 3 odds keep improving thanks to early DVR numbers

The more that we see about the numbers for Descendants 2, the more obvious that it seems that a Descendants 3 is coming as soon as possible. The second installment in the movie series was a huge hit in the live+same-day numbers, and it just so turns out that it also looks ready to be one in DVR figures, as well.

According to some of the information that was just put out there (via Deadline), the latest chapter in this story brought in 21 million viewers in live+3 data for all of the different networks that aired it. This means effectively that if this was an episode of a series, it would be one of the biggest shows on TV. Even with this being broadcast on so many different networks, you have to think that many of these viewers would’ve just congregated on one of them had it been programmed a little bit differently.

We figure that the announcement of the third movie will formally come soon, but that’s really just a formality at this point. It’s happening, but what Kenny Ortega and the team have to figure out from here is how to up the ante further, and use some of these familiar faces while bringing new ones into the fold in some new/interesting ways. They want to appeal to fans of the first two movies first, but it does absolutely help them if, in the process, they can also bring aboard some new people, as well! This means formulating new characters and twists to the story.

Just imagine now how many networks the third movie could air on when it does come out, and what the expectations for it could be. Many Disney and all of their networks will look for 25 million in live+3? The biggest thing they have to figure out is how to deliver a great product quickly without rushing, given that there is going to be a huge demand for more story and if they wait too long, there’s a chance that many of their viewers will age out of the demo and move on to other things (it’s why many Disney Channel shows have fairly limited runs).

With that being said, they also need to be patient since they don’t want to run the risk of putting a haphazard story out there. It’s a delicate balancing act, and we don’t envy anyone who has to figure out how to best move forward.

When do you want to see the third Descendants announced?

Be sure to share some of your thoughts on that subject right now in the comments!

Meanwhile, head over to this link in the event you want some additional news when it comes to the movies. (Photo: Disney Channel.)