The ‘Mank’ and ‘Mamma Mia!’ actor joins the cast of the upcoming original animated film, starring Ali Wong and Stephanie Hsu as the supposedly ‘evil’ step-sisters, who team up to repair the fractured fairytale.
Academy Award-nominated Amanda Seyfried has joined the cast of Netflix’s upcoming original animated feature Steps as the voice of Cinderella. The film streams later this year.
She joins Ali Wong as Lilith and Stephanie Hsu as Margot in a story that reimagines the classic fairytale, centering on Cinderella’s supposedly “evil” stepsisters.
The film is directed by Alyce Tzue, a Student Academy Award winner, and John Ripa, co-director of Raya and the Last Dragon; it’s produced by Amy Poehler, Jane Hartwell, and Kim Lessing, with Poehler and Lessing producing for Paper Kite Productions.
In the film, misunderstood stepsister Lilith is blamed for disrupting the Royal Ball with a stolen magic wand, accidentally turning her sister Margot into a frog and leaving the kingdom under the control of a prince-obsessed mean girl. She must then partner with Cinderella and a surprisingly dreamy troll to save the kingdom, repair the fractured fairytale, and prove that even so-called villains deserve a shot at happily-ever-after.
“Amanda has this incredible ability to make her characters specific and relatable, and we absolutely needed that when taking on a character that’s as legendary as Cinderella,” said Tzue. “We wanted to create a modern heroine complete with flaws and coping mechanisms, and Amanda immediately understood the task. Her portrayal of Cinderella is hilarious and heartbreaking and, most importantly, refreshingly human. You won’t want to miss it.”
“Amanda has been an absolute joy to work with,” said Ripa. “She brings a level of experience and passion that inspires us to dig even deeper into the character. Her process of honing in on emotions, the control she has over her voice - it all comes together to give the classic character of Cinderella a depth and humor we could’ve never imagined.”
“This story is, at its core, about two very different sisters - one who fits perfectly into this fairytale kingdom and one who doesn’t - realizing they're more alike than different,” Tzue also noted. “It’s such a personal story for me because, growing up as an awkward, artsy Taiwanese kid in suburban New Jersey, I often felt like an outsider, like ‘happily ever after’ wasn’t meant for me. I wanted to create a film for everyone who has ever felt like they didn’t belong - and show how a single act of kindness can change everything.”
Source: Netflix
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
