While Disney's 1950 and 2015 versions of Cinderella are by far the most popular, Disney doesn't own the rights to the story - it's a classic folktale. And with Disney's live-action remakes becoming some of their most successful cinematic properties, it makes sense that other studios would want to cash in on the fairy tale's inherent marketability.
Thus, Sony Pictures announced a new adaptation of the Cinderella story, produced by Late Late Show host James Corden and starring Idina Menzel, Nicholas Galatzine, Billy Porter, Pierce Brosnan, and - a bit surprisingly - chart-topping singer Camila Cabello as Cinderella, in her first acting role. Obviously, as it adapts a story with such a famed legacy, there are quite a few strong opinions about this film- but here's what we're looking for in this high-profile musical.
Top-notch visual effects
A film succeeding nowadays relies nearly as heavily on its visuals as it does its direction, and with such a talented team of actors and filmmakers, we're hoping Sony's Cinderella won't forget a key fairy tale adaptation necessity - being a beautiful film to look at.
With so many fantastical elements involved in the story, such as the pumpkin carriage or the signature castle, high-quality design and a talented creative team are both essential to the film's production - and again, with such a qualified and universally admired cast, it would be a shame if the film had design flaws that detract from its watch-ability.
Camila Cabello nailing her film debut
Let's face it, the first film for an actor is always a bit... rough, especially when they have the starring role. We don't doubt Cabello's ability to handle the spotlight; it's been demonstrated numerous times in the past - nevertheless, music and acting are two very different performing arts.
With such an illustrious and well-known ensemble working alongside her, it's going to be hard to make her performance stand out among the rest - but if she proves herself as dedicated an actress as she is a musician, there's probably nothing to worry about.
New twists on the classic tale
The classic story of Cinderella is just a tad too antiquated. Practically everybody knows the story from start to finish, and since audiences can always benefit from a good twist, we think the new Cinderella adaptation should change the story around a little bit.
The most important elements don't need to be altered - we just don't want a by-the-numbers rehashing of the classic fairy tale. Far too often, Disney's live-action remakes fail to have a sense of newness or originality, and we don't want the same for what's otherwise a very promising film that we're looking forward to.
A darker vibe compared to the original
One of the best ways to retain audiences while creating an adaptation of an oft-told tale, without making it seem like a pointless retelling of a story they already know, is to approach it with a different aesthetic or vibe. Disney did it with Maleficent, and honestly, there doesn't seem to be much of a problem with Sony Pictures doing it here.
A PG-13 version of the story with a darker tone and heavier emotional elements might be just what the classic story of Cinderella needs to retain its cultural significance - and with such a talented cast and crew, we're confident the upcoming film could easily pull it off.
Homages to classic fairy tale elements
What we're talking about here, specifically, is for the film to have a Shrek-like awareness of the fact that it's a fairy tale. In a way similar to how Disney's recently been writing films like Moana or Ralph Breaks the Internet, poking fun at classic genre tropes and scenarios is a genius method of producing comedy from the source material.
Also, many common themes found throughout Cinderella as well as many other fairy tales - such as the "love at first sight" trope and the "evil older lady" trope - could - and should - be turned on their head by the film in favor of a more modern look at the characters and themes.
Background characters getting better backstories
While Kenneth Branagh's 2015 adaptation of the fairy tale elaborated much further than the 1950 original on the deeply-rooted character flaws of several of its leads, it never really touched on some of the mysteries surrounding the background characters - for instance, the grand duke, Cinderella's three sisters, or the Fairy Godmother.
Finding out why these characters behave the way they do and how they got where they are could be a crucial difference between the upcoming adaptation and other versions of the fairy tale, and portraying the classic supporting cast as complex characters with their own individual sagas would be to the film's benefit.
Songs from both Cabello and Menzel
We don't have a lot of news on the songs that are going to be featured in Cinderella, but we do know that Cabello will have an "integral" involvement in the music. Hopefully, that also means she'll get a song - or multiple! - all to herself, as her singing prowess seems to be the main reason she was recruited to frontline the cast.
Idina Menzel also deserves a singing opportunity in her role as Cinderella's evil stepmother, because - let's be reasonable here - if the singer of "Let it Go" appears in a musical without getting a chance to sing, her stans are going to be seriously triggered - and they won't be the only ones.
Social commentary
Actor Billy Porter called Cinderella a reboot "for the #MeToo era", and hopefully the adaptation will reflect this. Giving the audience something to think about is a tried and true method of spicing up a reimagined version of a classic story, and Porter's comments make it seem like the film will include a healthy amount of cultural and societal commentary.
Adults who might not have previously considered watching an adaptation of a fairy tale traditionally aimed at kids will definitely respect this decision, and we think it's just generally a good choice.
A new, original portrayal of Cinderella
Yes, it's almost guaranteed that Cabello will play an ambitious, strong-willed woman - why would the creators of the film allow anything else? - but how exactly she'll portray that character is something we just don't know yet. What kind of character will she be?
Will the filmmakers stick to the version of Cinderella that proved so popular in 2015, a kind and honest character who sticks to her core principles, or will she be a more assertive woman who looks out for herself first? To be honest, both sound great, but what's most important is that the film offers a new look at the beloved character.
A definitive and timeless version of the Cinderella story
This might be the hardest thing for the filmmakers to get right. As a director, with so many adaptations of the Cinderella story already existing, it can get easy to lose yourself in attempts at originality and forego the core elements that made the original tale such a time-honored fantasy. While, as we've said, including social commentary is a good thing, commentary that's overbearing or too specific might lead to the film losing its relatability in later years.
The way the music is created is also important to creating a timeless adaptation - relying too much on industry trends or expectations is not the way Sony should approach Cinderella. We won't be able to see how the film fares until it's released in 2020 - but, honestly, we hope it's a challenger for Disney's versions, becoming what Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan F. Horn wanted the 2015 adaptation to be - the "definitive Cinderella for generations to come."