Cinderella 2015 Screenplay

[Vernie Montagna]

Cinderellais a 2015 romantic fantasy film directed by Kenneth Branagh from a screenplay by Chris Weitz. Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Kinberg Genre, Allison Shearmur Productions, and Beagle Pug Films, the film is based on Charles Perrault's 1697 fairy tale "Cinderella" and also serves as a live-action adaptation of Walt Disney's 1950 animated film.[6] Starring Lily James and Cate Blanchett as the main roles, with Richard Madden, Stellan Skarsgrd, Holliday Grainger, Sophie McShera, Derek Jacobi, and Helena Bonham Carter in supporting roles.

Development for Cinderella began in May 2010, with producer Simon Kinberg and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna attached to the project. Mark Romanek was initially set to direct in August 2011, but left the project in January 2013 due to creative differences with Disney and was replaced by Branagh, while Weitz was hired to revise McKenna's script. Casting began in November 2012, with Blanchett being the first actor to be cast. James signed on to portray the title role in April 2013, and the rest of the cast joined between May and September 2013. Principal photography took place at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England, from September to December 2013.

Cinderella premiered at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival on February 13, 2015, and was released theatrically in the United States on March 13 in standard and IMAX formats by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It grossed over $542 million worldwide, becoming Branagh's highest-grossing film to date as a director. The film received positive reviews from critics, and was nominated for costume design categories at the 88th Academy Awards, 21st Critics' Choice Awards, and 69th British Academy Film Awards.

Ella, the kindhearted daughter of a wealthy merchant, lives happily with her parents, until her mother falls ill. On her deathbed, she asks her daughter to always have courage and be kind. Years later, Ella's father marries the widowed Lady Tremaine, who has two daughters of her own, Drisella and Anastasia. When Ella's father leaves on business, Lady Tremaine reveals her cruel and jealous nature, forcing Ella to give up her bedroom to the stepsisters and move into the attic. While away, Ella's father unexpectedly dies. Lady Tremaine dismisses the staff to save money, forcing all the chores upon her stepdaughter. Seeing her face covered in cinders after sleeping by the fireplace, Ella's stepfamily mockingly dubs her "Cinderella".

Distraught by her stepfamily's mistreatment of her, Ella rides off into the woods. There, she meets Kit, the crown prince, who introduces himself as a palace apprentice. They take a liking to each other, but part without him learning her name. Back at the palace, Kit learns that his terminally ill father plans to throw a royal ball, so Kit may choose a princess to marry. Kit persuades the king to invite all the eligible maidens in the land, secretly hoping Ella will come.

Ella, also wanting to see Kit again, refashions her mother's old dress and attempts to join her stepfamily at the ball. However, they rip her dress and leave her behind. Running into the garden in tears, Ella meets an old beggar woman, who reveals herself to be her fairy godmother. She magically transforms a pumpkin into a carriage, mice into horses, lizards into footmen, and a goose into the coachman. She then bestows Ella an exquisite ball gown, and a pair of glass slippers. After casting a final spell to prevent Ella's stepfamily from recognizing her and before Ella departs, the Fairy Godmother warns her the magic will end at the last stroke of midnight.

At the ball, Kit is delighted to see Ella, and gives her the first dance. The Grand Duke, who promised Kit to Princess Chelina of Zaragoza for political reasons, expresses annoyance and is overheard by Lady Tremaine. Although surprised to learn Kit is the prince, Ella bonds with him. However, before she can tell him her name, the clock chimes close to midnight, and she flees the palace, losing one of her glass slippers. The Grand Duke pursues her, but Ella manages to hide right before the magic dissipates. Upon returning home, she hides the remaining glass slipper under the floorboards.

On his deathbed, the king gives Kit his blessing to marry Ella. As the new king, Kit issues a proclamation professing his love for the "mystery princess" and requests she present herself. Ella hurries to retrieve the slipper to prove her identity, but Lady Tremaine finds it first. She offers to let Ella marry Kit in exchange for making her the head of the royal household. Ella refuses, so Lady Tremaine breaks the slipper and locks her in the attic. She brings the remains to the Grand Duke and reveals the truth to him. He agrees to make Lady Tremaine a countess and secure advantageous marriages for her daughters in order to keep Ella hidden forever.

Unaware of these developments, Kit orders the Grand Duke and the Captain of the Guard to find the "mystery princess" by trying the intact slipper on every woman in the kingdom. At Ella's house, the shoe fits neither stepsister, and the company prepares to depart, until they hear Ella singing in the attic. Kit, who has secretly accompanied the group, commands the Captain to investigate, forcing Lady Tremaine to release Ella. Ella successfully tries on the slipper and, as she leaves with Kit, forgives her stepmother. Soon after, Lady Tremaine, her daughters, and the Grand Duke leave the kingdom permanently, while Ella and Kit marry and become its most beloved monarchs, ruling with the same courage and kindness that Ella had promised her mother years ago.

The film also features Ben Chaplin and Hayley Atwell as Ella's biological parents. Additionally, Rob Brydon plays Master Phineus, the royal painter. Jana Prez portrays Princess Chelina of Zaragoza, Kit's unwanted suitor, whom the Grand Duke wants him to marry. Alex Macqueen appears as the Royal Crier. Tom Edden and Gareth Mason play Lizard Footman and Goose Coachman, the human forms of Ella's animal friends. Paul Hunter portrays John, a farmer who works for Ella's family. Joshua McGuire appears as the Palace Official.

Walt Disney Pictures began developing a live-action reimagining of Charles Perrault's fairy tale Cinderella in May 2010, following the box-office success of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (2010). The studio made a seven-figure pitch deal with Aline Brosh McKenna and Simon Kinberg, who were set as screenwriter and producer, respectively.[11] According to Sean Bailey, studio chairman Alan F. Horn wanted to make the film a "definitive Cinderella for generations to come," and told him that if he needed to "spend a little more, spend it, to make sure it's one for the time capsule."[12]

McKenna's initial drafts suggested a "swashbuckling" take on the story,[13] with the prince being groomed for a politically arranged marriage until he meets Cinderella,[14] recast as a knight,[15] whom McKenna described as "somebody who's learning to go after what she wants. Basically, she gets separated from the prince and has to find her way back to him, but it's more complicated than that. She's very active and independent."[16] However, the idea was discarded, since the studio needed a more "recognizable" approach to the story.[15]

In August 2011, Mark Romanek was hired to direct the film,[14] with Chris Weitz brought on to revise McKenna's script in February 2012.[17] Romanek supervised the project for fifteen months,[18] but left in January 2013 due to creative differences with Disney, as his vision of the film was darker than the studio wanted.[19] Later that month, Kenneth Branagh was announced to take over as director,[20] and by April 2013, Allison Shearmur and David Barron were hired as producers.[21]

In November 2012, Deadline Hollywood reported that Cate Blanchett was in deep negotiations to play Lady Tremaine. She was the first actor to sign on for the project[22] and, according to Shearmur, was always the only choice for the role.[23] A few days later, Saoirse Ronan, Alicia Vikander, and Gabriella Wilde were reported to be in the running for the role of Cinderella,[24] with Imogen Poots also being considered.[25] By February 2013, Emma Watson entered negotiations for the title role,[26] but a deal ultimately did not work out.[27] Later, after she was cast as Belle in the 2017 live-action film adaptation of Beauty and the Beast (1991), directed by Bill Condon and starring alongside Dan Stevens, Watson elaborated that she refused because Cinderella's character did not resonate with her.[28] By April 2013, Bella Heathcote, Lily James, and Margot Robbie were testing for the title role,[29] with James eventually cast later that month.[30] She originally auditioned for the role of Anastasia, before the casting director suggested that she try out for Cinderella.[31] In the following month, Richard Madden was cast as Prince Kit.[32]

Three-time Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell was in charge of the costumes for the film. Powell began working on concepts for the characters' looks almost two years before principal photography began in the summer of 2013. Powell said she was aiming for the look of "a nineteenth-century period film made in the 1940s or 1950s."[41][42]

The ball gown was inspired by the Disney animated film in its color and shape; "The gown had to look lovely when she dances and runs away from the ball. I wanted her to look like she was floating, like a watercolour painting."[41] The dress was made with more than a dozen fine layers of fabric, a corset and a petticoat. Nine versions of the Cinderella gown were designed, each with more than 270 yards of fabric and 10,000 crystals. It took 18 tailors and 500 hours to make each dress.[41]

The wedding dress was another difficult project. "Creating the wedding dress was a challenge. Rather than try to make something even better than the ball gown, I had to do something completely different and simple... I wanted the whole effect to be ephemeral and fine, so we went with an extreme-lined shaped bodice with a long train," said Powell. It took 16 people and 550 hours to complete the silk-organza, hand-painted dress. While the crew photographed James in the gown, the actress stood too close to an electric heater and the dress caught on fire; the top layer of the dress had to be redone because only one wedding dress was created due to time and budget constraints.[41]

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