Amazon's Cinderella - What We Know So Far

There have been many interpretations of the "Cinderella" story since the fairytale first surfaced in the collective public consciousness centuries ago. It is the lovely story of a humble girl forced to keep house for her stepmother and two stepsisters, who is subsequently saved from the ash heap by her fairy godmother. With a dress and an enchanted coach, she wins the attention of the prince ... but everything falls apart at midnight. Leaving behind a single glass slipper, she must rely on her honesty and goodness to reunite with the prince and claim his heart and the crown.

Hundreds of twists on this incredibly well-known fairytale have since been put onscreen, from "A Cinderella Story" to Rogers and Hammerstein's Broadway-based take on the story. Amazon's version of the tale began as Sony Pictures' take on the tale: the streaming giant recently acquired the film for distribution after Sony pushed the film's release back repeatedly, according to Deadline.

Who will be in it, when will it be released, and what will it be about? You won't have to wait until the clock strikes twelve to find out.

The movie was originally slated for a February 5, 2021 release by Sony, according to Screen Rant. "Cinderella" was then pushed back to a summer 2021 theatrical release date, roughly to July, according to Deadline. But with "Cinderella" having been recently scooped up by Amazon, the film will instead debut worldwide on the streaming service this fall — thus far at an undetermined specific date. Amazon has also released no trailer for the film to further confirm a new date.

Should Amazon wish to put the film up for Oscar contention, it's likely that it will receive some sort of limited release in theaters to partner with its digital release. To be up for such contention in 2022, the film will need to be released by the winter of 2021. With Amazon specifying a fall drop, and the movie already completed and edited to make the February release date, it's unlikely that it requires much post-production time to produce a finalized version of the film. So you will likely be able to stream Cinderella by late November 2021 at the latest.

According to Vulture, Amazon's version of Cinderella will feature chart-topping pop songstress and former Fifth Harmony member Camila Cabello in the title role and her big-screen acting debut. Essaying the role of Fab G., described by Vulture as a genderless fairy godparent, will be Emmy-winning "Pose" star Billy Porter. 

Other members of the cast include stage and screen star Idina Menzel — who will portray evil stepmother Vivian — and Nick Galitzine, who will portray Cabello's love interest, Prince Robert. Minnie Driver will play his mother, Queen Beatrice, while Pierce Brosnan is Robert's father, the king. Maddie Baillio and Charlotte Spencer will portray Cinderella's stepsisters, while John Mulaney, Romesh Ranganathan, and James Corden will portray her footmen and mice friends. Missy Elliott, meanwhile, will portray the Town Crier. Broadway World says that the cast also includes Tallulah Greive as Princess Gwen, Luke Latchman portraying Griff, Fra Free in the role of Hench, and Mary Higgins as Princess Laura. Beverley Knight is also in the cast.

Corden also acts as co-producer of the film, as do Leo Pearlman, Jonathan Kadin and Shannon McIntosh, with Louise Rosner and Josephine Rose serving as executive producers. Kay Cannon wrote and directed this adaption.

According to Deadline, viewers can expect to see some sort of "twist" on the old fairytale. While the structure of the story will likely remain the same for the most part, right down to the glass slippers and romantic waltzing, this film will be "musically driven," according to Vulture, and combine pop songs with new numbers from Cabello. The logline adds that the "heroine is an ambitious young woman whose dreams are bigger than the world will allow."

Additionally, Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios, told Deadline that, "[p]roducer James Corden and the filmmaking team have taken this beloved fairytale and revamped it with a fresh, empowering perspective that will resonate with audiences and families around the world."

How this will differ from the multiple musical and feminist takes on the material which have already emerged, and been released, remains to be seen. Will there be further twists, such as the stepsisters being kind, or the stepmother having her reasons for being cruel, or the royal family being less welcoming — or more complicated — than they initially seem? Viewers will have to wait until fall to find out if this venture will turn itself into a big pumpkin.