The sequel to Enchanted, Disenchanted has encountered multiple delays before starting production, and here is why. Released in 2007, Disney’s live-action animated musical Enchanted follows Giselle (Amy Adams), a princess-to-be from the fairy tale kingdom of Andalasia. She is then transported to the real-world setting of New York, where she meets her modern-day prince. Its sequel, Disenchanted, is finally set to premiere this 2022, after being shelved for fifteen years.
Enchanted was a box-office success, earning $340.5 million against an $85 million production budget. It was then the 15th highest-grossing film of 2007. Additionally, Enchanted was positively received by critics, with praise directed towards its reimagining of Disney fairy tales, its comedy, and musical numbers. Despite the movie’s magical themes, it effectively catered to families of all ages. Enchanted’s lead actress Amy Adams also received glowing reviews for her singing and acting abilities. Unsurprisingly, there was a demand for a sequel, yet it took more than a decade for Enchanted 2 to be ready.
In April 2021, Enchanted star Patrick Dempsey revealed that the delay in creating the sequel has been due to script disagreements. Since Enchanted was an impressive feat for Disney, the studio sought to replicate, if not exceed, its success by honoring its film inspirations, perfecting the songs, and polishing the story. The journey started just three years after Enchanted’s release, when Disney began planning a sequel. Anne Fletcher (The Proposal) and Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam) were rumored to direct and write the screenplay, respectively. Though Disney was initially eyeing a 2011 release, the film’s composer Alan Menken shared that he was not yet made aware of the studio’s actual plans. Additionally, James Marsden, who starred as Enchanted’s Prince Edward, believed that there was a time limit in crafting the sequel, since the actors were already getting older.
In 2014, Disney had officially started the production of the Enchanted sequel by hiring the writers of the Shrek franchise’s second movie, J. David Stem and David N. Weiss, with Fletcher as director. However, two years later, it was announced that Adam Shankman, who directed the 2007 remake of Hairspray, entered negotiations as Disenchanted’s director. Although filming was originally scheduled to begin by 2017, with Adams reprising her role, the film’s script was not yet finished. In fact, in 2018, Shankman laid out his plans; stating that writing the original songs would be prioritized after the script’s completion. Unfortunately, in May 2019, the film was still not green-lit by Disney since the writers were still getting it right. A year later, more production meetings took place, and Disenchanted’s director Shankman was now on board as a co-writer.
Finally, in December 2020 during the Disney Investor Day, Enchanted’s sequel, Disenchanted, was officially announced — after 10 years of creative differences and changes and 13 years since the first film’s release. The original actors Amy Adams, James Marsden, Partick Dempsey, and Idina Menzel are reprising their roles. Meanwhile, Maya Rudolph, Jayma Mays, Gabriella Baldacchino, and Yvette Nicole Brown are rounding out the cast. Disenchanted is set for release exclusively on Disney+ by mid-2022, fifteen years after Enchanted changed the world.