Adam Shankman, the director of Enchanted sequel Disenchanted, explains how the sequel movie breaks new ground. Enchanted, which was directed by Kevin Lima and released in 2007, is a unique Disney film that blends animation and live-action in order to satirize the Disney princess character archetype. Starring Amy Adams as the fairytale protagonist Giselle, Enchanted sees the once-animated character emerge from a sewer in modern-day New York City and attempt to adjust to her new existence. A sequel to the beloved film was in the works for years and finally earned an official announcement in December 2020, titled Disenchanted and featuring the full, original main cast (besides Susan Sarandon, whose villain was killed in the first movie).
While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Shankman describes the ways in which the sequel movie differs from Enchanted. The Disenchanted trailer has already revealed that Giselle would be undergoing a villainous transformation in the new film, while other updates offered additional insights such as Idina Menzel finally getting her own song. Now, Shankman explains that Disenchanted has an altogether different focus from the original, working as more of a fairy tale drama than a rom-com. See what the director has to say below:
It became more about family. The first movie was essentially a romantic comedy, but it was also hinging on the fact that Giselle was a fish out of water. She’s not a fish out of water anymore so we had to make everyone else a fish out of water. Unless you wanted her to have marital problems with Robert, which we did not want to do, the romantic comedy thing wasn’t so much there, so it was about creating all of the energy that makes it feel like Enchanted, with an entirely new set of rules.
Could There Be A Third Enchanted Movie?
The director's explanation of balancing the themes of the original with Giselle's new, suburban existence offers rich potential for further character development. After all, Enchanted, while more centered on the romantic aspect of Giselle's life, certainly focused on family to an extent, with her love interest Robert (Patrick Dempsey)'s daughter Morgan (Rachel Covey) becoming an important character due to her bond with Giselle. Hopefully, Disenchanted will continue that throughline and explore the ways in which Giselle's relationship with her step-daughter has evolved in the more than a decade since Enchanted.
The success of the original and the high anticipation for the sequel naturally beg the question whether the franchise will continue with a third movie. With Disenchanted exploring Giselle's family and accidental transition into villainy, a third Enchanted movie could delve into her adjustment to Morgan leaving the nest, or another aspect of modern family life that she never expected to deal with as a fairy tale character. The charming character of Giselle as well as the rest of the talented cast and amusing premise of the franchise easily leave room for a potential Enchanted 3, if the cast and creators wanted to go that route.
A sequel to Disenchanted could also go another route, leaning into the world of Andalasia with a fully animated movie or Disney+ series, though not having the contrasts from the modern world would take away from some of the best parts of the franchise. It's possible that Disenchanted will remain the sole successor to Enchanted, depending on how the film concludes. If this is the case, the film will hopefully deliver a satisfying ending to Giselle's story, even if she doesn't quite get the happily ever after that she imagined.
Source: THR