Cinderella is one of the most adapted fairytales in history, and a new version is heading to the small screen as a limited TV series to be executive produced by Jennifer Lopez. While the mention of Cinderella instantly conjures up images of the Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo of Disney’s animated version of the story, there have been dozens of iterations over the last five decades and beyond, including Disney’s own 2015 live-action re-imagining, the critically lambasted Amazon Prime Video movie starring Camila Cabello, and the 1998 Drew Barrymore movie Ever After. Now the new TV series will take its inspiration from the Rogers and Hammerstein version of the story, and as you would expect from that little nugget of information will have a musical aspect to it.
Rogers and Hammerstein’s musical adaptation of Cinderella has itself had three made-for-TV movies based on it in the past. The first of these was a 1957 version starring Julie Andrews in the lead role before her success in the likes of The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins, and that was followed by a 1965 version featuring Lesley Ann Warren, which was not given the same praise as the previous release. In 1997, the musical was adapted again, this time with singer Brandy taking on the role of the much-loved princess and saw Whitney Houston playing the fairy godmother, in what is cited by many as the best of the three movies. With all three movies having a “TV quality,” it will be interesting to see how an actual TV series with today’s budgets stands up against them.
Cinderella is a Timeless Story That is Still One of the Most-Loved Fairy Tales
Although there may have been an innumerable volume of movies and shows that have been adapted from or inspired by Cinderella, that doesn’t mean that the story doesn’t still strike a chord with audiences. That is something Skydance Television’s president, Bill Bost is hoping proves to be true with the new series. He said in a statement:
"The story of Cinderella is as timeless now as ever. This aspirational story of romance, unconventional families, and the surprising power of wishes has inspired audiences around the world for centuries, and we are thrilled to be working with Jennifer, Rachel, Concord, and The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization to bring our fresh take to the screen."
Sophia Dilley, Senior VP of Development and Production at Concord Originals added, "Rodgers & Hammerstein elevated the already magical story of Cinderella with their iconic music that has attracted legends of screen and stage throughout its many beloved, award-winning iterations over the years. Our partnership with Skydance and Nuyorican on this project is the first step of many towards our collective goal of championing timeless classics for a new generation and Rachel is the perfect voice to expand upon this story in a contemporary way."
The new series will see GLOW and The Baby-Sitters Club’s Rachel Shukert joining Lopez as executive producers, as well as acting as showrunner for the series. There is no word yet on where the series will be heading or when, but expect more information in the near future.