ELLA ENCHANTED Series Executive Produced by Anne Hathaway in the Works at Disney+
A TV series based on the 2004 cult classic fairytale movie Ella Enchanted is in the works at Disney+. The film’s star, Anne Hathaway, is executive producing the potential series, which is written by Ilana Wolpert (Anyone But You), with Beth Schwartz (Dead Boy Detectives) as showrunner, and Miramax Television and Paramount Television Studios co-producing.
In the new story, when 16-year-old Ella of Frell — cursed at birth to obey every command — is sent to boarding school after her mother’s untimely death, she begins to uncover the truth about her curse, builds an unlikely found family, and deals with an extremely inconvenient crush on the prince of her kingdom.
The series, now in early stages of development, keeps the basic premise of the movie and Gail Carson Levine’s book it was loosely based on — it centers on the eponymous teen girl stuck with the unfortunate “gift” of obedience.
“But it’s pulling away from being largely a Cinderella retelling romantic fantasy by giving the story a coming-of-age feel with a boarding school setting, which is not in the film.
“Four chapters in Levine’s novel chronicle Ella’s stay at a boarding-style finishing school for girls where she is mercilessly bullied but also finds a best friend. The boarding school backdrop of Ella Enchanted also echoes Wednesday‘s reframing of the Addams Family lore.
The deal at Disney+ extends Hathaway’s longstanding relationship with Disney. She started her career at the company as a teenager with The Other Side of Heaven and The Princess Diaries, the latter of which became a global hit and spawned a sequel which she also headlined.
“Currently starring in the studio’s latest hit, The Devil Wears Prada 2, she spoke about her Disney connection when she opened Disney’s upfront presentation last week, introducing new CEO Josh D’Amaro.
“Like so many of you, I was introduced to Disney as a child, learning how to dream and tell stories,” she said. “Playing Mia in Princess Diaries became this magical portal that opened up my whole life and now with the Devil Wears Prada franchise; these two films that have shaped my career the most are at the same wonderful home, and I am so honored to be a part of the family.”
via: Deadline