At the Disney Upfront panel this afternoon, Disney unveiled the first look at the long-awaited Enchanted sequel, Disenchanted. The photo offers a glimpse at the original film’s star Amy Adams, as well as a newcomer to the franchise in Maya Rudolph. If the costumes are any indication, Andalasia and its citizens haven’t lost a step since audiences first traveled there in 2008.
Adams will of course be reprising her role as Giselle, though this outfit seems a far cry from her baby blue dress in the original. Rudolph is portraying a character named Malvina Monroe, who is the overseer of a community known as Monroeville. It sounds like she will be the main antagonist of the film, much in the same way that Susan Sarandon was in the original. Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, and Idina Menzel will all be reprising their respective roles. Newcomers to the cast include Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), Jayma Mays (Glee), and Oscar Nunez (The Office).
It’s hard to imagine that an actress of Adams‘s caliber will have missed a beat from the original, and a talent like Rudolph will undoubtedly eat up the screen in this villainous role. While perhaps not the most original plot, the acting, songs, and new comedic talent in the form of Brown, Nunez, and Mays, could really give families a nice holiday gift in this long-awaited sequel.
A sequel for Enchanted has been in the works since 2010, with Anne Fletcher (27 Dresses) set to direct and a 2011 release date on the horizon. Of course, that timeframe came and went, with the studio struggling to capture the story for Giselle’s next adventure. Disenchanted was officially announced at Disney Investor Day in 2020, with Disney+ serving as a perfect avenue for the long-delayed sequel (the original was released in 2007).
Adam Shankman (Rock of Ages, Bedtime Stories) is taking over directing duties from Kevin Lima. He also had a hand in writing the screenplay alongside Brigitte Hales, Richard LaGravenese, Scott Neustadter, and Michael H. Weber. Disney mainstay Alan Menken has returned to work on the music for the sequel, having been nominated for three different songs in the Best Original Song category for the original in 2007.
Disenchanted will hit Disney+ on Thanksgiving later this year. Here’s the official synopsis for Disenchanted:
“Ten years after her happily ever after, Giselle (Adams), Robert (Dempsey), and Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino) move to a new house in the suburb of Monroeville. The community is overseen by Malvina Monroe (Rudolph), who has nefarious intentions for the family. When problems arise, Giselle wishes that their lives were the perfect fairy tale. The spell backfires, with Giselle rushing to save her family and her homeland of the kingdom of Andalasia before the clock strikes midnight.”
via Collider