Disney Chooses "Downton Abbey" Actress as Cinderella
4/30/2013
by Rebecca Ford


Disney has found someone to wear the glass slipper.

Lily James of "Downton Abbey" will star as Cinderella in Disney’s live-action interpretation of the classic tale. Kenneth Branagh will direct, with Cate Blanchett playing the evil stepmother.



The Cinderella project was first set up at Disney in May 2010 in the wake of the studio’s success with Alice in Wonderland, the live-action adaptation of the Lewis C. Carroll book that starred Johnny Depp.

Devil Wears Prada writer Aline Brosh McKenna wrote the initial draft of the script.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-chooses-downton-abbey-actress-449064

Cinderella Director Kenneth Branagh Previews His Plan for the Classic Fairy Tale at Disney's D23
by Lindsey Bahr
Aug 10, 2013


There aren’t exactly a lack of Cinderella adaptations. From the musical versions to Disney’s animated take, even the live-action Drew Barrymore re-telling, everyone has their favorite.

Disney wants to add one more to the slate, and called on Thor director Kenneth Branagh to bring the impoverished, unlucky heroine to the screen once more.





Fans attending Disney’s D23 Expo on Saturday got a chance to see a pre-taped segment with Branagh, who teased audiences with his plans for the film and the story and how he plans to honor the beloved animated classic.

Set to hit theaters in March 2015, none of the cast or crew could attend, since they’re about to start production. Sean Bailey, president of the Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Productions, promised “we will be faithful to the original material,” but added that they hoped to elevate it as well, showing the politics of the royal court while following Cinderella from her time as a young girl to the fateful night when she’s given that dress and those slippers and heads to the ball.





In the pre-taped segment, Branagh showed a screen test with the new Cinderella (Downton Abbey’s Lily James) wearing a makeshift blue gown meant to represent the one she’ll wear to the ball.

As the Prince, Richard Madden of "Game of Thrones" will be a “funny, smart, sexy prince. A great complimentary match for Cinderella,” said Branagh.

Cate Blanchett’s wicked stepmother will be at turns wicked, but also witty, and Helena Bonham Carter’s Fairy Godmother will be “warm and tender and funny.” Branagh says she’s the “voice who lets us know that all will be well.”





Branagh is concerned with getting the iconic scenes right — from the transformation of the pumpkin into the elaborate carriage, to Cinderella’s entrance into the ballroom, to the moment when she realizes the slipper does, in fact, fit.

If Branagh’s excitement is any indication, this newest take on the girl who loses her slipper might just be a new classic after all.

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/08/10/cinderella-d23/

First Look at Disney's Live-Action Cinderella -- PHOTO
by Hillary Busis
Sep 23, 2013


Well, that's one way to get to the ball on time.

Principal photography on Disney’s upcoming live-action Cinderella has just begun in London — and as this first-look photo proves, this might not be your grandma’s version of the classic fairy tale.





The film, directed by Kenneth Branagh, stars "Downton Abbey‘s" Lily James as the titular heroine, Cate Blanchett as her wicked stepmother, Helen Bonham Carter as her quirky fairy godmother, and "Game of Thrones‘" Richard Madden as her Prince Charming.

The story largely follows Disney’s 1950 cartoon adaptation, with a few twists — in this version, for instance, Cinderella and the Prince meet before that fateful ball, though he fibs and tells her that he’s a palace employee. (Shades of Aladdin — and Ever After?)





Branagh praised his cast in a statement released today, especially its young romantic leads: “With Lily James we have found our perfect Cinderella,” he said.

“She combines knockout beauty with intelligence, wit, fun and physical grace. Her Prince is being played by Richard Madden, a young actor with incredible power and charisma. He is funny, smart and sexy and a great match for Cinderella.”



Set your clocks for midnight… plus two and a half years: The film hits theaters March 13, 2015.

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/09/23/disney-cinderella-cate-blanchett/

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