5 Thoughts We Had About ‘Cinderella’ Trailer Starring Camila Cabello: Here For The Update And Sass, And Billy Porter As The Fairy Godmother!
We know that the glass slipper fits. But has the design gotten bolder? And has the comfort gotten an upgrade to get with the times? Now that are the questions worth asking, aren’t they? Over the years, the fairy tale of Cinderella, her evil step-mother and step-sisters, her Prince Charming and her Fairy Godmother have gotten several updates. Some adhered to the original story, while some, like my favourite, Ella Enchanted (starring Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy) put a quirky spin on it. You wouldn’t be wrong if you emulated Karan Johar (Bollywood’s own fairy godmother?) and said “Oh God, one more retelling?” But what if I told you this new one does things in ways that seem promising? The trailer for Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming musical Cinderella has just dropped! Directed by Kay Cannon, it stars Don’t Go Yet singer Camila Cabello, Idina Menzel, Minnie Driver, Nicholas Galitzine, with Billy Porter and Pierce Brosnan.
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There are LOADS of reasons to get excited over this retelling. For starters, the fairy tale is getting a much needed modern upgrade, where Cinderella isn’t just this timid bechari girl, oppressed by her stepmother and needing a rescue from a Prince Charming. There’s clearly more to her… some ambition, and some gumption. And then there’s Billy Porter playing the fairy godmother, looking fabulous as hell and ready to make Cinderella’s on-paper dreams come true. The two bring quite a sassy upgrade to this iconic conversation that has made girls the world over wish they had a fairy godmother to whip up a ballgown and carriage with a swish and a flick.
There’s also the music of this film that has me excited. This is Camila Cabello’s acting debut, and the Señorita crooner will be singing original songs as well as covers of some popular numbers. Idina Menzel, who plays Cinderella’s stepmother, is already a voice that everyone recognises, after her Elsa stint on Disney’s Frozen, and her roles in Enchanted and Glee. And she too will be singing an original as well as belting out a cover of a song we all know too well. The cast is quite starry too, with Pierce Brosnan playing the King and James Corden (also a producer) as one of the mice-turned horsemen!
The film looks great in the little bit that we get to see in the trailer, and I am eager to see what fashion ‘lewks’ we get served, considering our new Ella is a designer herself!
I watched the Cinderella trailer, twice, and here are five thoughts I had about it!
1. YES to fairy tale characters having ambitions beyond becoming princesses, please!
I think when Disney decided to have Elsa question Anna’s decision to marry the guy she’d just met in Frozen, it was a watershed moment of sorts. Because we were still telling these stories of fairies and magic, but we were giving them some much needed update to get with the times. Camila Cabello’s Ella seems to be a business woman who appreciates a good prince as much as she does a good pantsuit. But she knows when something is just not right for her. It doesn’t look like it’s going to be so easy for Charming to sweep Cinderella off her feet just because the shoe fits perfectly. She might have other plans! And I love that there’s something else driving her than the need to get out of under her stepmother’s thumb.
I hope the ending does justice to this modern take they’ve done on the story.
Also Read: Camila Cabello Shuts Down Body Shaming: We Are Real Women With Curves And Cellulite. Hell Yes, We Are!
2. The trailer makes me think the evil stepmother might have some interesting layers to her… hmmm.
Speak of he d-evil stepmother and sisters, I really hope that there’s more to them than just being evil for no reason. To quote my favourite bad boy Damon Salvatore, “If you’re going to be bad, be bad with purpose. Otherwise you’re just not worth forgiving.” If this is going to be just another one of those mean girl trios, then I am going to be very disappointed. But something tells me, the stepmother has a different card up her sleeve in this one.
3. I am LIVING for Billy Porter as fairy godmother, and cannot wait to see more!
Ohmigosh, is there anyone more fabulous than Billy Porter? I LOVED the snazzy entry, the pantsuit bit, and the sassy banter between them and Ella, and I am so excited to see what more’s in store from this character! Oh and the snatched outfits!
4. Director and writer Kay Cannon infused this sugary sweet fairy tale with some much needed sass, and it sounds hilarious!
For those unaware, director and writer Kay Cannon has been a writer and producer on the Pitch Perfect franchise, as well as shows like 30 Rock, New Girl and Girlboss (which she is the creator of). She brings with herself years of experiencing in bringing some fantastic female characters on screen, and you can see just how refreshing the fairy tale becomes with the sassy zing she’s added to it.
I’ve always thought that for a girl who lived a difficult life like Ella did, she would’ve had to develop a certain sense of humour to get through life. And if this Cinderella can hit that sweet spot, it would be pretty great!
PS: Did you or did you not think of Kajol’s Anjali from K3G when Cinderella breaks that ‘gamla’ at the ball and the Prince spots her!?
5. Praying to my Fairy Godmother, let the soundtrack be fabulous!
The soundtrack will reportedly feature covers of ‘Rhythm Nation’ by Janet Jackson, ‘Somebody to Love’ by Queen (our prince is performing this one!), ‘Let’s Get Loud’ by Jennifer Lopez, ‘Material Girl’ by Madonna (performed by Idina Menzel), ‘Whatta Man’ by Salt-N-Pepa, ‘Seven Nation Army’ by White Stripes and more. I mean, I am super pumped!
All in all, I think we should definitely give this Cinderella retelling a chance to dazzle us. Let’s try the shoe on. And if it fits….!
Cinderella releases on Amazon Prime Video on September 3, 2021.
