Before the days of Disney+, there was only one place to get an original Disney movie fix at home: Disney Channel. While the network has slowed down the production of Disney Channel Original Movies in recent years, they were once the staple of every child and tween's social calendar — and some, like High School Musical, even became worldwide phenomenons.
But not every movie got the same opportunities. While High School Musical spawned two sequels and two spin-offs, a lot of the films produced for Disney Channel were one-hit wonders. Without any continuation, plenty of fans were left wondering what became of their favorite characters once the credits rolled.
Avalon High (2010)
Based on the Meg Cabot novel of the same name, Avalon High tells the story Allie (Britt Robertson), a teenage girl who moves to a new high school and realizes that her classmates are reincarnations of legendary figures from Camelot. It diverts a lot from the original text — swapping the reincarnated identities of many characters — but sticks to the same concept, with the group uniting to defeat a traitor.
Although the original plot is resolved in the movie, there's still a lot to explore in this universe. The myths of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are plentiful, and considering how creative the original plot is, the opportunities are endless.
Princess Protection Program (2009)
Back at the height of their Disney days, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato were said to be best friends — which is exactly what made pairing them for a Disney Channel movie so genius. Princess Protection Program is delirious fun, exploring what happens when Princess Rosalinda María Montoya Fioré (Lovato) is forced into hiding with a regular family.
Not only would fans clamor to see Gomez and Lovato on screen together again, but the movie heavily hinted at a sequel in its final moments of the extended ending. With both Rosalinda (known as Rosie) and Gomez's Carter becoming Princess Protection agents, they're ready for their first mission. Audiences were robbed of truly seeing the pair in action as professionals.
Kim Possible (2018)
The original Kim Possible animated series spawned several movie sequels, but its live-action remake hasn't been quite as lucky. Like the show, it features Kim (Sadie Stanley) and her best friend Ron (Sean Giambrone) fighting crime and scheming to take down the evil Dr. Drakken (Todd Stashwick).
She manages to do this, but there are plenty of threads left untied, even after the credits roll. Drakken is accidentally aged down during Kim's mission, and a mid-credits scene sees him enroll at her school in an attempt to finally defeat her. Even though Kim Possible was deemed by some viewers as one of Disney Channel's worst original movies, Kim's adventures continued for years in the original animation. With the right writing, her live-action version could do the same.
Minutemen (2008)
In 2008, Disney Channel answered the question of "what would teenagers actually do with a time machine?" with Minutemen. This sees three high-school friends decide to use it to go back in time and undo the humiliating mistakes of other teens.
Disney Channel rarely veers into sci-fi, but Minutemen is proof that its attempts are golden. There are real stakes in the first film that, despite the silliness, make viewers forget exactly what network they're watching it on. While their time machine may be long gone by the finale, Charlie (Luke Benward) has ideas for more inventions that promise equally raucous fun.
Lemonade Mouth (2011)
Following its unprecedented success, Disney was inspired by High School Musical to produce multiple musicals in the same vein. Few went as hard as Lemonade Mouth. This teen musical drama tells the story of five high school students, who decide to form a band after meeting in detention.
It's nowhere near as cliché as it sounds. The acting talent is stellar, the soundtrack features hit after hit, and — despite seeming like a combination of every Disney musical and The Breakfast Club — the movie feels honest, empowering and slightly more mature than other films on Disney Channel. Who wouldn't want more?
Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior (2006)
Frustratingly, a sequel was originally planned (but canceled) for Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior, according to Movie Web. It would have been a follow-up on one of the most exciting concepts for a Disney Channel movie: in it, teenager Wendy Wu (Brenda Song) discovers she's the reincarnation of a legendary female warrior destined to protect the world.
While the plot is wrapped up neatly by the movie's end, viewers are still left wanting more. The action scenes are fresh, fun and more dynamic than other Disney Channel productions, and Song is endlessly watchable. Really, audiences just deserved to see Wendy put her now-completed martial arts to use beyond just fighting Yan-Lo (Hadley Hudson).
Pixel Perfect (2004)
Pixel Perfect has one of Disney Channel's most unusual, complex plots, so it's a surprise the company didn't stretch it across more than one movie. When Roscoe (Raviv Ullman) uses his father's technology to create the perfect lead singer for his friend's band, the result is Loretta (Spencer Redford) — a hologram who becomes more popular than the actual humans in the group.
Its premise is admittedly ridiculous, but the movie is unique and has genuinely touching moments, such as the first (and last) time Loretta gets to feel rain. Even though she's gone by the end, the beauty of technology is that her return would have been easy to manufacture.
Starstruck (2010)
The highlight of Starstruck is its addictive soundtrack, but the plot is also pretty good, too. On a family trip to Hollywood, Jessica Olson (Danielle Campbell) is dragged to a Christopher Wilde (Sterling Knight) concert by her obsessed sister, only to bump into the man himself and spend the day fleeing the paparazzi together.
It's the ultimate sweet teenage romance, with Campbell and Knight's chemistry carrying what would otherwise be a pretty standard series of events for a DCOM. Beyond the film's closing prom scene, the pair would surely have faced other challenges of a high-profile relationship beyond just 24 hours of press.
Cadet Kelly (2002)
Other than playing the titular character in Lizzie McGuire, definitive 2000s tween queen, Hilary Duff, had another starring moment on Disney Channel: Cadet Kelly. When her mother marries the Commandant of a military school, teenager Kelly Collins is forced to join the school herself, where she finds herself its clumsiest, most unorthodox student.
Being Disney, there's only one way this can end – with Kelly defeating the odds to thrive on the drill team. Although there's the obligatory love interest in Cadet Major Brad Rigby (Shawn Ashmore), the real chemistry is between Kelly and Cadet Captain Jennifer Stone (Christy Carlson Romano). While this is never developed on screen, Romano herself told InStyle that she believes there's more there — but without a sequel, fans never got to find out what.
Upside-Down Magic (2020)
Upside-Down Magic is one of Disney Channel's latest Original Movies, so the absence of a sequel is somewhat understandable. However, the plot easily lends itself to a follow-up. Based on the book series of the same name, it follows Nory (Izabela Rose) and her best friend Reina (Siena Agudong) as they enroll at Sage Academy and try to defeat Shadow Magic.
Admittedly, it isn't the most unique fantasy plot in the world. However, the world-building is strong and immersive, and it's always nice to see a female friendship like Nory and Reina's take center stage. It'd be interesting to see where their paths lead as they grow older — and more magically powerful.