Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
More On:
Peyton Elizabeth Lee
-
'Doogie Kamealoha, MD' Canceled By Disney+ After 2 Seasons
-
Will There Be a Season 3 of 'Doogie Kamealoha, MD' on Disney+? What We Know
-
Stream It Or Skip It: 'Doogie Kamealoha, MD' Season 2 on Disney+, Where Peyton Elizabeth Lee Returns As A Hawaii-based Version Of A Genius Teen Physician
-
The First Season Of 'Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.' Was A Sweet, Sunny, Surprisingly Funny Portrait of a Teen Savant
Is the future of Disney Channel Original Movies on Disney+? Because Secret Society of Second-Born Royals, which premiered on Disney+ today, screams “DCOM” with every fiber of its being. Cheesy dialogue? Check. Teens with superpowers? Check. A lesson about friendship? Check. A surprisingly decent ensemble cast of young actors? Check, check, and check.
At the top of the Secret Society of Second-Born Royals cast is Peyton Elizabeth Lee, who most know as the star of the Disney Channel original series, Andi Mack, where she played a 13-year-old navigating middle school with her two best friends. Now, at the age of 16, Lee is officially and forevermore a Disney princess, thanks to her starring role as Princess Sam, the second daughter in line for the throne in the fictional kingdom of Illyria. (As much as I’d like to pretend that makes me think of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, all I hear is David Cross singing “Welcome to Illyria” in She’s the Man.)
The thing about Princess Sam is that she doesn’t want to be a princess. While Sam’s too-perfect older sister Eleanor (Ashley Liao) just can’t wait to be queen, Sam would rather be rocking out on electric guitar with her best friend Mike (Noah Lomax). But she’s given new purpose when she’s whisked away to a mysterious summer school class taught by Skylar Astin, who reveals that—surprise!—Sam has superpowers. Every second-born royal does, apparently. In the world of Secret Society of Second-Born Royals, all of those second-borns happen to be five English-speaking teenagers between the ages of 15 and 18.
Each teen has their own unique superpower. Sam has super-enhanced heightened senses, which allows her to hear, smell, and see things that are really far away. A popular princess who’s addicted to Instagram (Olivia Deeble) ironically has the power to turn herself invisible. One kid’s powers is, I kid you not, “bugs.” (Does he attract them? Does he control them? It’s not really clear.) Basically, this movie is what pops out when you dump Sky High, Princess Protection Program, and The Descendants into the algorithm machine.
Not that fans of Peyton Elizabeth Lee will be complaining. In this slightly more grown-up role, Lee gets a chance to be even more of a snarky rebel than ever did on Andi Mack. Before they get the second-born royals into their X-Men-like suits, she also gets the chance to rock some punk rock outfits, complete with an army jacket and choker.
And let’s not forget the look that featured a black t-shirt with rolled-up sleeves, a grey hoodie around the waist, and an electric guitar that sparkles. Honestly? Iconic.
Look. Obviously, if Peyton Elizabeth Lee gets to be a Disney princess, she’s going to be the coolest Disney princess that ever was. Watch out, Princess Jasmine. Princess Sam is coming for your cool Disney princess throne.
