We’ve been dreaming of an Enchanted sequel for 15 years now and the long wait is close to an end with the upcoming release of Disenchanted. Set 15 years after Giselle and Robert’s “happily ever after” in the original 2007 movie, the new film is set to take audiences into a new chapter of the couple and their growing family’s lives. We’re expected to see a ton of new fresh faces, and of course, the comeback of several other favorites. Here’s everything we know so far.
Where We Left
Enchanted is one of Disney’s most beloved live action films, which also coincidentally serves as both a homage to and parody of its countless classic fairytales. It introduced Amy Adams to larger audiences and served as her huge breakout role as Giselle, a young maiden from the Kingdom of Andalasia, who is set to marry her great love, Prince Edward (James Marsden). However, things go awry when the prince’s mother finds a way to send Giselle away via a portal and into New York City. She goes from a living as an animated character to having to deal with the real world with the help of Robert, a cynical divorce lawyer, and his daughter, Morgan.
Talks of a sequel to the much-beloved film have been around since 2010, with several rumors going around as to who among the cast would be returning. In 2016, as the sequel was still in production limbo, Amy Adams was quoted in an episode of The Graham Norton Show, saying, “They’ve got a director and they are developing a script. I’m hoping I am in it. I’m not going to let anyone else play Giselle!”
The sequel was not officially announced until 2020—ten years after talk of a follow-up film began circulating!
What to Expect
As previously mentioned, the sequel is set to focus on a new chapter of Giselle, Robert, and Morgan’s lives as they move to a new home in a town called Monroeville. And as exciting as a prospect as that may sound, the move doesn’t turn out to be as picturesque and fairytale-like as Giselle would have expected with all the struggles that come with it (very much anchored in real life), and then there’s also the matter of Maya Rudolph’s new character: local queen bee, Malvina Monroe. And so, Giselle makes a wish but when the spell is cast, things don’t turn out exactly the way she planned.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Amy Adams gave a few hints about what to expect with the sequel: “Everything is changing, life evolved, and she [Giselle] has a baby now, baby Sophia. It’s not as though they’ve [Giselle and Robert] hit a bumpy patch, but things have just evolved between them, you know?”
She goes on to share in the same interview, “I don’t want to give too much away, but when Giselle makes the wish that the world could be a fairy tale, she still thinks she’s a younger lady, I guess, because she’s the ingenue. And she’s not anymore. She’s now the stepmother and things begin to unfold in that direction.”
All these ominous and intriguing things aside, though, it looks like we’re also going to have a lot of more musical numbers with the sequel, which is exciting. In fact, even Patrick Depsey has confirmed that he’ll be singing as well!
In an interview with Variety, the former Grey’s Anatomy alum said, “There’s a great cast coming together. And the musical numbers, I get to sing and dance. To work with everybody again after 14 years is just really exciting. We need some escapism right now. We need those romantic comedies and those musicals to get people out of the doldrums that we’re in.” He also joked that the sequel marks the first time he has ever sung in public. He adds, “I’ve never ever sung publicly—for a reason. So bear with me. I hope the fans embrace it.”
Cast
Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey are, of course, returning as Giselle and Robert. However, the role of Morgan has been recast with Gabriella Baldacchino set to play her as a teen. James Marsden and Idina Menzel are also set to make a comeback as Prince Edward and Nancy, however the same cannot be said for Susan Sarandon and her character Queen Narissa, given the events of the previous movie.
Among the film’s newcomers are Maya Rudolph, as the sequel’s main villain Malvina Monroe. She is joined by Yvette Nicole Brown as Rosaleen, Kolton Stewart as Tyson Monroe (Malvina’s son), Jayma Mays as Ruby, and Oscar Nuñez as Edgard.
Behind the Scenes
Billy Kelly, the original writer for Enchanted, took a step back for the sequel but is still very much involved in production. Writer Brigitte Hales, whose credits include work on Once Upon A Time, primarily took the helm for the sequel’s writing and is also credited for her efforts in getting it greenlit after years of being up in the air. As for the film’s director, Adam Shankman will be taking over after Kevin Lima. Some of his prior work include The Pacifier, Bedtime Stories, A Walk to Remember, and Hairspray.
Official Plot and Trailer
The official synopsis for the sequel reads as follows:
“It has been 15 years since Giselle and Robert wed, but Giselle has grown disillusioned with life in the city, so they move their growing family to the sleepy suburban community of Monroeville in search of a more fairytale life. Unfortunately, it isn’t the quick fix she had hoped for. Suburbia has a whole new set of rules and a local queen bee, Malvina Monroe (Maya Rudolph), who makes Giselle feel more out of place than ever.
Frustrated that her happily ever after hasn’t been so easy to find, she turns to the magic of Andalasia for help, accidentally transforming the entire town into a real-life fairy tale and placing her family’s future happiness in jeopardy. Now, Giselle is in a race against time to reverse the spell and determine what happily ever after truly means to her and her family.”
Disney has confirmed that Disenchanted will be available for streaming on Disney Plus this Thanksgiving, November 24, 2022.
(featured Image: Disney)
