Maybe it’s just us, but when we see people in period clothing singing catchy modern pop songs, we’re instantly transported back to 2001. That was when a young actor named Heath Ledger (along with Paul Bettany, Alan Tudyk, and others) gave us A Knight’s Tale, a fun medieval adventure film filled with modern music. What follows is certainly not that but the vibe is there and we aren’t mad at it.
The movie in question here is Cinderella, written and directed by Pitch Perfect writer Kay Cannon. It stars pop star Camila Cabello as the title character in what looks like a fairly modern retelling of the classic story. There are lots of other stars along the way — and definitely some Knight’s Tale flavour too — so check out the new trailer.
The appearance of James Corden, who seemingly pops up anywhere these days if there’s a musical, might be off-putting to some, but look at everyone else. Idina Menzel! Billy Porter! Pierce Brosnan! And yes, that’s even Minnie Driver! Cannon has put together a stacked cast with a Cinderella who, obviously, can sing quite well considering her numerous chart-topping hits. No, it’s not a movie for everyone, but the film certainly feels like it’s going to find an audience.
Cinderella comes exclusively to Amazon on September 3 which is really quite soon. That might leave you wondering why you’re maybe just hearing about this film now. Well, that because it was supposed to be a theatrical release through Sony earlier in 2021. But, after all the release date changes due to covid-19, it got pushed back to summer, and then sold to Amazon, much like Paramount’s Coming 2 America and The Tomorrow War. Hence the September release date.
But again, a film that seems like it’s aimed at a younger audiences feels right at home on streaming, where young people who become obsessed with this whimsical world can watch it again and again.