Cinderella (2021 American film)
| Cinderella | |
|---|---|
 Official release poster | |
| Directed by | Kay Cannon |
| Written by | Kay Cannon[1] |
| Screenplay by | Kay Cannon |
| Based on | "Cinderella" by Charles Perrault |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Henry Braham |
| Edited by | Stacey Schroeder |
| Music by |
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Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Amazon Studios |
Release dates |
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Running time | 113 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
Cinderella is a 2021 romantic musical film based on the fairy tale of the same name by Charles Perrault. Written and directed by Kay Cannon, it stars singer Camila Cabello as the title character in her acting debut, alongside Idina Menzel, Minnie Driver, Nicholas Galitzine, Billy Porter, and Pierce Brosnan. It is a jukebox musical, featuring pop and rock hits, in addition to several original songs.[2]
Development on the film began in April 2019, when Sony Pictures announced a musical-style film of Cinderella, with Cannon writing and directing. The film was produced by James Corden, through Fulwell 73 with Leo Pearlman, Jonathan Kadin, and Shannon McIntosh. Principal photography began in February 2020 at Pinewood Studios, and was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production resumed in August 2020 and concluded in September.
Cinderella was released in select theaters and digitally on Amazon Prime Video on September 3, 2021.[3] The film received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot[]
Cinderella is an ambitious young woman who wants to establish her shop "Dresses by Ella". One day in her patriarchal society, she catches the eye of Prince Robert in the guard-changing ceremony. The next day, Robert, dressed as a commoner, goes to the market, where he finds Ella trying to sell her dress. After some playful banter, he buys it for three times the amount she originally asked. He later invites her to the ball being held two weeks later, with the promise of introducing her to various people from the world to sell her dresses to.
When the day arrives, Ella is getting ready when her stepmother, Vivian throws ink on her dress and tells her that only her stepsisters, Malvolia and Narissa, can attend, since Thomas the vegetable merchant has already confirmed his desire for Ella's hand. Ella is sad, but her Fabulous Godmother magically appears and dresses her in a design of Ella's, with glass shoes, and turns mice into footmen and a crate into a carriage. Ella goes to the ball and meets Tantiana, a visiting queen who offers to take her around the world as a dressmaker for her and asks to meet her the next day in the market square. Later, Robert finds Ella, shows his sister, Princess Gwen wearing the gown he bought from Ella previously and proposes to Ella. Ella refuses, however, as she wants to start her career. She tells that if she marries him it will be the end of her dream and Robert from his small age wanted to become the king and he also is not ready to accept this. At the stroke of midnight, she leaves the hall after throwing her shoe at one of the King's attendants, who tries to catch her.
The next day, Vivian, tells Ella her life story that she was also an ambitious girl like Ella and even had got an opportunity to learn piano in a reputed music school. She left home to study and when she came back home her husband gave her divorce saying that she is not a suitable wife and kicked her and her daughters out. While she was about leave Ella's room she finds Ella's glass slipper and, on knowing the truth that her stepdaughter is the mystery princess, tries to convince Ella to marry Robert. When Ella refuses, Vivian gives her to Thomas.
When the king entered into the queen's room she does not take any notice of him to which the queen replies that this is family and love is important. The king says that he loves Robert and she says that he loved him before he became a king and that he is not paying any respect to her and not even accepting her words. She even tells since he became the king he only thought of expanding his kingdom. Robert's mother, Queen Beatrice, helps his father, King Rowan, understand that it will be right to let him marry a commoner. The king thinks of these words and allows the prince to marry his love. Rowan even gives him the glass slipper. Robert keeps searching for Ella and finds her running in the forest after she escapes from Thomas. They confess their love to each other as Ella and Robert kiss and reach the market in time to show her benefactor her designs, who accepts them and asks Ella to travel with her.
Robert introduces Ella to Rowan and Beatrice and informs them of their decision to travel the world. He knows this will ruin the plan for his future ascension to the throne, but Beatrice smiles as Rowan proudly declares that Gwen (who has repeatedly shown an interest and ability in affairs of state), will now be first in line to the throne. Citizens of the kingdom gather to witness the ceremony announcing the Princess' position and that Robert and Ella are in love.
Cast[]
- Camila Cabello as Cinderella
- Idina Menzel as Vivian, the stepmother
- Minnie Driver as Queen Beatrice
- Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Robert
- Billy Porter as Fabulous Godmother
- Pierce Brosnan as King Rowan
- Maddie Baillio as Malvolia
- Charlotte Spencer as Narissa
- James Corden as James the Mouse
- James Acaster as John the Mouse
- Romesh Ranganathan as Romesh the Mouse
- Tallulah Greive as Princess Gwen
- Beverley Knight as Queen Tatiana
- Doc Brown as Town crier
- Rob Beckett as Thomas Cecil
- Jenet Le Lacheur as Wilbur
- Fra Fee as Hench
- Luke Latchman as Griff
- Mary Higgins as Princess Laura
- Nakai Warikandwa as Princess Nakai
Production[]
In April 2019, Columbia Pictures announced a musical retelling of "Cinderella", with Kay Cannon writing and directing.[4] The idea to reinterpret "Cinderella" came from James Corden, who produced the film through Fulwell 73 with Leo Pearlman, Jonathan Kadin, and Shannon McIntosh.[5]
In April 2019, Camila Cabello was attached in the role of Cinderella.[5] In October 2019, it was announced that talks were underway with Idina Menzel (voice of Elsa in Disney's Frozen) as Cinderella's stepmother,[6] and Billy Porter for the role of fairy godparent.[7] In December 2019, Nicholas Galitzine was added to the cast as Prince Robert.[8]
Principal photography began in February 2020[9] at Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom.[10] Filming was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[10] Production resumed in August 2020[11] and concluded in September.[12]
Cinderella's carriage was designed to promote Mercedes Benz.[13]
Music[]
Soundtrack[]
In April 2019, it was announced that Camila Cabello was working on the soundtrack for the film.[5] In October, 2020, Idina Menzel confirmed that "[she and Camila] both have original songs as well."[14] On August 2, 2021, it was announced by the director that the soundtrack would be released on September 3, 2021.[15]
Film score[]
| Cinderella (Score from the Amazon Original Movie) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film score by Mychael Danna and Jessica Rose Weiss | ||||
| Released | September 3, 2021 | |||
| Recorded | February 2021 | |||
| Studio | Synchron Stage Vienna | |||
| Genre | Orchestral | |||
| Length | 24:46 | |||
| Label | Sony Classical | |||
| Producer |
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| Mychael Danna chronology | ||||
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| Jessica Rose Weiss chronology | ||||
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In February 2021, Jessica Rose Weiss confirmed that she and Mychael Danna were working on the film score, and recording the score with orchestra led by Johannes Vogel at Synchron Stage Vienna.[16] The film score was released digitally by Sony Classical on September 3.[17][18]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ella's Village" | 0:48 |
| 2. | "Find a Match" | 0:38 |
| 3. | "Wifey Fish Guts" | 1:10 |
| 4. | "The Pain Is Quite Terrific" | 0:40 |
| 5. | "Put That Dress Down" | 0:44 |
| 6. | "Chrysalis" | 0:45 |
| 7. | "I Believe in You" | 1:16 |
| 8. | "This Is My Chance" | 0:50 |
| 9. | "Back to the Basement" | 1:21 |
| 10. | "Adventure Time" | 0:37 |
| 11. | "Fab G" | 0:42 |
| 12. | "Cautionary Magic" | 0:40 |
| 13. | "Meeting the Queen" | 0:48 |
| 14. | "First Dance" | 1:26 |
| 15. | "Romance & Rodents" | 0:54 |
| 16. | "Palace Escape" | 2:29 |
| 17. | "Stroke of Midnight" | 0:45 |
| 18. | "Could It Be Love" | 1:45 |
| 19. | "Viviane's Lament" | 2:42 |
| 20. | "Escape Plan" | 0:37 |
| 21. | "Search for Ella" | 0:52 |
| 22. | "I Choose You" | 0:44 |
| 23. | "We're in Business" | 0:29 |
| 24. | "A Lady's Right to Rule" | 0:50 |
| Total length: | 24:46 | |
Marketing[]
As part of the film's marketing, Amazon Prime Video partnered with Mercedes-Benz in August 2021.[19] On August 9, Japanese shoes brand Onitsuka Tiger announced the release of a limited edition sneakers created in collaboration with Cinderella.[20] On August 11, hair brand John Frieda announced a collaboration with Cinderella.[21]
Release[]
Cinderella was released in select theaters and digitally in 240 countries via Amazon Prime Video on September 3, 2021.[3][22] It had a premiere event on August 30, 2021, at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.[23][24] Samba TV reported that 1.1 million American households streamed the film over its first four days of release, while Amazon claimed it was the most-watched VOD title over the same frame.[25]
In June 2019, Sony scheduled the film for release February 5, 2021.[26] In January 2021, the release date was pushed back to July 16, 2021.[27] In May 2021, Sony cancelled the film's theatrical debut and announced that the film had been bought by Amazon Studios except China, Sony would also retain home entertainment and linear television rights to the film.[28][29]
Reception[]
Audience viewership[]
According to Samba TV, the film was watched in 1.1 million U.S. households over its four-day Labor Day weekend debut and in 2.2 million households by the end of its first 30 days.[30] According to the analytics company Screen Engine, Cinderella was the most-watched streaming movie during its opening weekend, as well as the most-watched movie musical yet in 2021.[31]
Critical response[]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 43% based on 127 reviews, with an average rating of 5.00/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "This singalong-worthy Cinderella sprinkles some modern fairy dust on the oft-told tale, but flat performances and clunky dialogue make watching often feel like a chore."[32] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 41 out of 100 based on reviews from 30 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[33]
Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3 out of 4 stars and praised Cabello for her performance, saying "she has a real knack for comedy" and described the film as having an "upbeat, breezy and sentimental style, laced with some sharp humor and filled with familiar and catchy pop tunes refashioned to fit the storyline."[34] Jonathan Sim of ComingSoon.net wrote, "It's a progressively charming take on a romantic tale, and there are sweet, romantic moments throughout the film, even if there isn't much you haven't seen before."[35]
Courtney Howard of Variety called it a "mediocre musical" and despite some praise for the innovation, she was critical of many of the creative choices, the inconsistent pacing, the character development, and said it felt both "underdeveloped and overstuffed" at the same time.[2]
References[]
- ^ "Cinderella". Writers Guild of America West. December 2, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ a b Howard, Courtney (September 1, 2021). "'Cinderella' Review: Camila Cabello Shines in Progressive but Prosaic Reimagining of a Familiar Fairy Tale". Variety. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ a b Adam Chitwood (September 3, 2021). "How to Watch 'Cinderella': Where to Stream the 2021 Update Starring Camila Cabello". Collider. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
- ^ McClintock, Pamela (May 6, 2021). "Sony's 'Cinderella' Heads to Amazon, Bypassing Theaters". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ^ a b c McNary, Dave (April 9, 2019). "Camila Cabello to Star in New 'Cinderella' Movie for Sony". Variety. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
- ^ McNary, Dave (October 11, 2019). "Idina Menzel in Talks to Play Evil Stepmother in 'Cinderella'". Variety. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
- ^ McNary, Dave (October 10, 2019). "'Pose' Star Billy Porter in Talks to Play Fairy Godmother in 'Cinderella'". Variety. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 4, 2019). "Camila Cabello 'Cinderella' Finds Its Prince In UK Actor Nicholas Galitzine". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
- ^ Cannon, Kay (February 13, 2020). "Day 1 of shooting down. A gazillion more days to goooooooo! #director #writer #filmmaking". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
- ^ a b Tom Grater (March 16, 2020). "Sony's 'Cinderella' Musical UK Shoot Shut Down For Two Weeks Over Coronavirus". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 17, 2020). "Camila Cabello's 'Cinderella' Movie At Sony Heading Back To Production In UK After COVID-19 Shutdown". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
- ^ Cannon, Kay (September 29, 2020). "SAP POST: Tonight we wrapped our main unit on @cinderellamovieofficial. I just CANNOT express my love & gratitude enough to the cast & crew who helped finish this movie during a pandemic. It's not easy to pretend we're back to normal when we're not. A million thanks for all of your hard work & endless hours of mask wearing. Honestly, there's a few of you that I couldn't pick out of a lineup. Mostly, thank you for all the sacrifices you made so that we could film our jokes & songs... safely. We did it! I am filled with pride. I will never forget you nor this experience. I am forever changed. ❤️". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ Janelle Okwodu (August 25, 2021). "Camila Cabello And Billy Porter's Reimagined 'Cinderella' Is A High Fashion Fairytale". British Vogue.
- ^ Menzel, Idina [@idinamenzel] (October 25, 2020). "Oooh. A bunch! @Camila_Cabello is extraordinary. We both have original songs as well" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Kay Cannon [@KayKayCannon] (August 2, 2021). "So proud of our soundtrack. Please note a correction: The hilarious @JamesAcastor stars alongside @JKCorden & @RomeshRanga, playing one of the three footmen/mice" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Synchron Stage Vienna. "Synchron Stage Vienna on Instagram: "It's finally here! ✨