Disenchanted will drop on Disney+ on November 18th, continuing the story of Giselle from the first film, Enchanted. Despite Giselle getting her happily ever after in the original film, the upcoming sequel will feature her struggling with her own happiness.
Though the first film is unique in some ways to traditional Disney princess movies, it follows many of the expectations associated with "Once Upon A Time" stories. The upcoming sequel will subvert some of these common tropes, such as many of the other princess sequels have before it.
Cinderella II: Dreams Come True (2002)
Though Cinderella isn't considered one of the best badass princess leads, this sequel to her storyline reveals the princess is more than her happily ever after. Told from the perspective of the mice Gus and Jaq, this story follows Cinderella as she gets acquainted with palace life and questions how she wants to live her happily ever after.
This is a similar take on the continuation of a princess story as Disenchanted. Just as it seems Giselle will question how her life has been since her happily ever after, Cinderella challenges the traditions of the palace and tries to make some changes that she believes in.
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning (2008)
This film is technically a prequel, but it works to further develop Ariel's character before she meets Prince Eric. In this story, Ariel fights to return music to Atlantica when King Tritan bands it following the tragic death his wife.
Just as Giselle will have to find a way to ensure her own happiness in Disenchanted, Ariel had to fight for the happiness of herself and her kingdom. This movie also explores the theme of how one person's happiness can affect others, which will also be a main theme in the upcoming sequel.
Little Mermaid II: Return To The Sea (2000)
In this sequel, Ariel's daughter Melody discovers that her mother had been hiding her mermaid heritage from her and seeks a way to become a mermaid permanently and live in the sea. In this film, Ariel takes on a role similar to her father in the original, trying to thwart her child's desires in hopes of protecting her.
In Giselle's first film, she was resistant to other people's negativity about true love and the meaning of a happily ever after. However, in the upcoming sequel it seems she'll switch roles, as Ariel did in this film, and likely question if her happy ending is all it was supposed to be.
Cinderella III: A Twist In Time (2007)
In this third installment of Cinderella, her stepmother gets hold of the fairy godmother's magic wand and changes the past to make Anastasia the prince's bride. Though Anastasia goes along with the plan at first, she ends up righting the wrongs and helps restore the prince and Cinderella's relationship.
This is another story that twists the concept of a happily ever after. Just as Giselle will have to figure out what she truly needs to be happy, Anastasia figures out what she truly wants when handed what she had thought she wanted. Despite the struggles to ensue, viewers can likely expect a similar happy ending in Disenchanted.
Mulan II (2005)
Though Mulan doesn't get a prince charming, she eventually gets a happy ending with a true love General Shang. However, this movie challenges their love as Mulan has to grapple with if duty or staying true to herself is more important.
This sequel has similar themes to what the audience is looking forward to in Disenchanted. While Mulan wanted to be happy, she has to stay true to her heart and makes decisions that sit well with her, just as Giselle will have to when faced with unhappiness and the balance of her two world.
Aladdin II: The Return Of Jafar (1994)
In this Aladdin sequel, Jafar tricks a man into setting him free from his lamp so that he can seek revenge on Aladdin and Jasmine. Just as in the first one, Aladdin and his group fight the big bad and restore the kingdom and palace to peace.
Aladdin is one of the few films that has a focus on the prince instead of the princess, flipping the script. Though Giselle is the focus of Enchanted and the upcoming sequel, the new plot will flip the script on the happily ever after and challenge the traditional tropes in Disney princess films.
Frozen II (2019)
Frozen and its sequel are already a unique Disney princess film in the sense the queen is actually the focus and the love stories within the films are more of a secondary plot than the main focus. In a shocking twist of events, this sequel featured Elsa giving up her crown to live her true happiness.
This is like Giselle's initial decision to give up being a princess in order to be with the people that truly bring her joy. The upcoming sequel will likely continue to subvert traditional princess tropes and, like Elsa, make Giselle question why her current position isn't entirely what she needs.
Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World (1998)
Pocahontas is considered controversial due to its historical inaccuracies, so many viewers may be surprised to learn there was a follow-up film. In this sequel, Pocahontas goes on a journey to England in which she questions if this happily ever after truly compliments who she is and what's important to her.
The Enchanted sequel will follow many of the themes within the Pocahontas sequel. This new film will explore how the lovely ending in the original film may not be the happy conclusion it appears and isn't what the main character actually needs.
Tangled Before Ever After (2017)
Rapunzel's story in Tangled goes against stereotypes, as well as the other depictions of her tale. This short TV film featured Rapunzel as she goes on an adventure with her lady-in-waiting, Cassandra, before she is officially coronated as princess.
While Giselle is happy to become a wife and stepmother and live happily ever after, this sequel to Rapunzel's story features a princess that wants her freedom along with her happily ever after. Disenchanted could explore Giselle's doubts about living a happily ever after without exploring the other prospects in her life.
Beauty And The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997)
This sequel actually takes place during the events of the original movie, though it's not a plot that is seen in the original tale. For this special, Miss Potts tells the story about how Belle decided to celebrate Christmas even when the Beast didn't want to celebrate the holiday.
Though this is a holiday special, this story highlights how Belle chooses to go against the rules when she feels strongly about something. This sequel is a great precursor to Disenchanted in the way a traditional princess can still subvert expectations and do something unexpected.