Amy Poehler is developing a wicked new musical titled, Steps, based on the Cinderella story we all know and love. Since hosting Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live and creating Parks and Recreation, Poehler has taken more producing roles as of late. The comedian helped Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson realize their vision for Broad City and most recently directed and produced the movie, Moxie, for Netflix.
CBR reports that Poehler is working on an animated musical for Netflix that reframes a classic fairytale from the perspective of its most hated characters. The concept resembles the hit musical, Wicked, based on a bestselling novel by Gregory Macguire, which retold the story of The Wizard of Oz with sympathy for the Wicked Witch of the West. Riki Lindhome (Garfunkel and Oates) will write the script, which Alyce Tzue will direct. Lindhome will also write music for the movie with her comedy partner, Kate Miccucci, and both will executive produce.
Poehler says she's "so excited to be working with Netflix and the great Riki, Kate, and Alyce on this joyful and much-needed story." With Poehler, Lindhome, and Miccucci involved, the project will likely have a sense of humor behind it. Tzue's award-winning, Pixar-esque animated short, Soar, beautifully captures a whimsical interaction, so her directing may add some heart to the story. Tzue's statement emphasizes the musical's contemporary relevance:
Our stepsisters are a pair of young Asian immigrants to a fairytale world, and their journey navigating the pressures of their kingdom to ultimately arrive at their true dream is a story that resonates deep inside my heart. Especially in light of the terrible acts of erasure against the Asian community, I am grateful to be working with this incredible team on a project where I feel so seen. We can’t wait to bring Steps to the world!
Netflix's synopsis for Steps reads as follows:
In a spin on the classic Cinderella story, two stepsisters are overlooked for marriage by the Prince and embark on an epic journey, realizing that their own perfect fairytales might be different from what they originally thought.
Source: CBR