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Exclusive: First Look Inside Disney World’s Wicked New Stage Show, Villains: Unfairly Ever After
May
Mirror, mirror on the wall — who’s the most misunderstood villain of all?
That’s the spellbinding question at the heart of Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After, the brand-new stage show debuting at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios — and EW has your exclusive first look.
Opening May 27 inside the Sunset Showcase Theater (formerly home to Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy), this lavish new production invites guests to hear the untold side of Disney’s most iconic baddies — from Sleeping Beauty’s Maleficent to 101 Dalmatians’ Cruella de Vil and Peter Pan’s Captain Hook.
In EW’s first-look photos, Maleficent commands the stage in classic villainous fashion, cackling atop a golden staircase as plumes of purple haze swirl around her. Behind her, mysterious empty picture frames hint at more evil arrivals — and the show’s clever framing device: Snow White’s Magic Mirror has summoned the audience to help decide which villain has been treated the most unfairly.
The immersive musical spectacle promises a thrilling lineup of Disney‘s darkest icons. In addition to the live-action stars confirmed so far — Maleficent, Cruella, and Captain Hook — concept art teases appearances by Jafar (Aladdin), Ursula (The Little Mermaid), Hades (Hercules), Scar (The Lion King), Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland), Gaston (Beauty and the Beast), and the delightfully diabolical Yzma (The Emperor’s New Groove).
Per Disney’s teaser: “They’ve broken through the Magic Mirror’s glass — now what? It’s time for these baddies to share their side of the story in a show full of theatrical magic, witty humor, and plenty of mischievous charm.” But beware: “Choose your favorite carefully. Some villains don’t take rejection well.”
Musical mayhem awaits, with familiar villain themes getting a live performance twist — and a brand-new original song written exclusively for the show.
Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After will open alongside The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure, a long-awaited replacement for the beloved Voyage of the Little Mermaid show that closed during the pandemic.
This production also sets the stage for something even bigger: the upcoming Villains Land expansion at Magic Kingdom. First teased at the D23 Expo in 2024, the new land will feature two major rides, themed dining, shopping, and a realm devoted entirely to Disney’s most dastardly characters.
As Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro teased: “Happily-ever-after might feel like a distant dream. Be prepared — this is a fearless new vision for what a Disney experience can be.”
Villains: Unfairly Ever After opens May 27 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Scroll up for EW’s exclusive photos from inside the show.
