Cinderella (franchise)
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''Cinderella'' is a
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
franchise that commenced in 1950 with the theatrical release of the 1950 film ''
Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...
''. The franchise's protagonist is the titular character
Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...
, who was based on the character of the same name from the ''Cinderella'' fairy tale.


Overview

MCNG Marketing wrote "Cinderella alone is a brand that is easily worth hundreds of million of "bippity boppity" dollars." The blog Fragments said "Cinderella seems to be the main princess in the Disney Princess franchise–there are 108 items for Cinderella on DisneyStore.com ... Cinderella is the alpha-princess of the Disney Princess franchise, which seems a bit odd since she is from the second-oldest film that is included in the franchise." The paper ''Saving Cinderella: From Disney to Cyborg Princess'' examines why Cinderella is such an enduring franchise:


Animated feature films


''Cinderella'' (1950)

''Cinderella'' is a 1950 American animated romantic musical
fantasy film Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually Magic (paranormal), magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The Film genre, genre is considered a form of speculative fic ...
produced by Walt Disney and released by
RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Kei ...
. Based on the fairy tale '' Cendrillon'' by Charles Perrault, it was released on February 15, 1950. The film was directed by Clyde Geronimi,
Hamilton Luske Hamilton Somers Luske (October 16, 1903 – February 19, 1968) was an Americans, American animator and film director. Career Luske joined the Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Productions animation studio in 1931 and he was soon trusted ...
and
Wilfred Jackson Wilfred Emmons Jackson (January 24, 1906 – August 7, 1988) was an American animator, arranger, musical arranger and film director, director best known for his work with The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Productions. Jackson joined Walt Dis ...
. The songs were written by
Mack David Mack David (July 5, 1912 – December 30, 1993) was an American lyricist and songwriter, best known for his work in film and television, with a career spanning the period between the early 1940s and the early 1970s. David was credited with writing ...
, Jerry Livingston, and Al Hoffman; they include " A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes", " Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo", " So This Is Love", " The Work Song" and " Sing, Sweet Nightingale". In 2018, ''Cinderella'' was selected for preservation in the United States
National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation (library and archival science), preservation, each selected for its cultural, historical, and aestheti ...
by the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". With a wicked
stepmother A stepmother, stepmum or stepmom is a female non-biological parent married to one's preexisting parent. Children from her spouse's previous unions are known as her stepchildren. A stepmother-in-law is a stepmother of one's spouse. Culture Ste ...
and two jealous stepsisters who keep her enslaved and in rags,
Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...
stands no chance of attending the royal ball. When her fairy godmother appears and magically transforms her reality into a dream come true, Cinderella enchants the handsome Prince Charming at the ball, but must face the wrath of her enraged stepmother and sisters when the spell wears off at midnight.


''Cinderella II: Dreams Come True''

''Cinderella II: Dreams Come True'' is a 2002 American animated romantic musical
fantasy film Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually Magic (paranormal), magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The Film genre, genre is considered a form of speculative fic ...
, the first
direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...
sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
to the 1950 American romantic musical film ''
Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...
''. It was released on February 26, 2002. It was followed by '' Cinderella III: A Twist in Time'' in 2007. It consists of three segments featuring Cinderella planning a party, Jaq the mouse being turned into a human and living as Cinderella's page boy, and one of Cinderella's brutal stepsisters (Anastasia, the redheaded one in a pink dress) reaching her redemption through falling in love with a young baker, a low-class man of whom Lady Tremaine and Drizella do not approve. Estimated to cost $5 million, ''Cinderella II: Dreams Come True'' was Walt Disney Pictures' top selling animated sequel that year, grossing approximately $120 million in direct-to-video sales. The film received negative reviews. This is the only film with opposite reception.
Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...
prepares for her first royal ball and tries to help her stepsister find love.


''Cinderella III: A Twist in Time''

''Cinderella III: A Twist in Time'' is a 2007 American animated
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
fantasy film Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually Magic (paranormal), magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The Film genre, genre is considered a form of speculative fic ...
, the second
direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...
sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
to the 1950 American romantic musical film ''
Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...
''. Canonically it is a continuation of the original Cinderella, rather than '' Cinderella II: Dreams Come True'', though due to its unusual chronological sequencing it acknowledges the events of ''Cinderella II: Dreams Come True'' by using some of its characters. The film was released on February 6, 2007, directed by Frank Nissen and features the voices of Jennifer Hale and Susanne Blakeslee. For the UK release of the film, it was simply titled "Cinderella: A Twist in Time", without mention of it being a sequel. It made its world television premiere on Toon Disney on December 3, 2007. The film received generally positive reviews (the first film received more positive reception than the third film, but the second film received contrasting reviews). On the first anniversary of
Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...
's marriage to Prince Charming, her stepsister Anastasia finds the Fairy Godmother's wand in the forest. Cinderella's cruel stepmother, Lady Tremaine, uses it to reverse time, making the famous glass slipper fit Anastasia's foot before Cinderella has a chance to try it on. But, no longer retaining any memory of who Cinderella is, the prince prepares to marry Anastasia, and Cinderella is forced to jump into action to regain her happy ending.


Live-action remake

''Cinderella'' is an American
romantic fantasy Romantic fantasy, or "romantasy", is a Genre, subgenre of fantasy fiction that combines fantasy and Romance novel, romance, describing a fantasy story using many of the elements and conventions of the chivalric romance genre. One of the key featur ...
film directed by
Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh ( ; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Born in Belfast and raised primarily in Reading, Berkshire, Branagh trained at RADA in London and served as its president from 2015 to 2024. List of award ...
from a screenplay written by Aline Brosh McKenna and Chris Weitz. Produced by David Barron and Simon Kinberg for
Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film Film production company, production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios (division), the Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. The st ...
, the film is inspired by the folk tale ''
Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...
'' by Charles Perrault and the 1950 American romantic musical film of the same name. It stars Lily James as the titular character,
Cate Blanchett Catherine Élise Blanchett ( ; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor and producer. Regarded as one of the best performers of her generation, she is recognised for Cate Blanchett on screen and stage, her versatile work across stage and scre ...
as Lady Tremaine, Richard Madden as Prince Kit,
Sophie McShera Sophie McShera (born 17 May 1985) is an English actress known for her roles as Ros McCain in the fifth series of the BBC television series '' Waterloo Road'', as Daisy Mason in the ITV television series ''Downton Abbey'', and as Drizella T ...
as Drisella Tremaine, Holliday Grainger as Anastasia Tremaine and Helena Bonham Carter as The Fairy Godmother. Principal photography on the film began on September 23, 2013 in London. The film was released on March 13, 2015. After her father unexpectedly dies, young Ella finds herself at the mercy of her cruel
stepmother A stepmother, stepmum or stepmom is a female non-biological parent married to one's preexisting parent. Children from her spouse's previous unions are known as her stepchildren. A stepmother-in-law is a stepmother of one's spouse. Culture Ste ...
and stepsisters, who reduce her to scullery maid. Despite her circumstances, she refuses to despair. An invitation to a palace ball gives Ella hope that she might reunite with the dashing stranger she met in the woods, but her stepmother prevents her from going. Help arrives in the form of a kindly beggar woman who has a magic touch for ordinary things.


Theme park attractions


Cinderella Castle

Cinderella Castle is the fairy tale castle at the center of two Disney theme parks: the
Magic Kingdom Magic Kingdom Park is a Amusement park, theme park at the Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It opened on October 1, 1971, and is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Disney Experiences, Expe ...
at the
Walt Disney World Resort The Walt Disney World Resort is an entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Walt Disney Company. ...
, and
Tokyo Disneyland is a theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Disney park t ...
at the Tokyo Disney Resort. Both serve as worldwide recognized icons and the flagship attraction for their respective theme parks. Along with Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Castle is an iconic symbol of
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
as a whole.


Prince Charming Regal Carrousel

Prince Charming Regal Carrousel (formerly Cinderella's Golden Carrousel) is an authentic carousel ride in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort. Similar attractions under varying names can be found at two other Disney parks, including Tokyo Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland. This 90-horse carousel plays organ-based Disney songs during the two-minute ride period. Hand-painted scenes from Disney's Cinderella can be seen on the ride; hence the name "Prince Charming".


L'Auberge de Cendrillon

L'Auberge de Cendrillon (French for Cinderella's Inn) is a restaurant located in Fantasyland in
Disneyland Paris Disneyland Paris is an entertainment resort in Marne-la-Vallée, France, located about east of Paris. It encompasses two theme parks, seven Disney-owned hotels, two convention centers, a golf course, an arena, and a shopping, dining and entert ...
, which opened in 1992 with the park. It is themed to the Disney movie Cinderella.


Cinderella Castle Suite

A suite, which can be compared to the size of a master bedroom and bathroom in an average house, exists inside the upper levels of Cinderella Castle.


Cinderella's Royal Table

Cinderella's Royal Table is a restaurant "event" held daily within the Cinderella Castle's upper level at Disney World, Florida. While lunches are sometimes available, the primary meal served is Dinner. Reserved Guests are admitted to a waiting alcove before proceeding to a French-styled eating area with a number of coves, tables, and various Baroque props and chandeliers. Menus are provided for ordering a number of entrees, all of which are typically found in mid to upper level dining restaurants (beef and chicken tend to dominate). During the dinner, the Cinderella characters (usually Cinderella, Prince Charming and the Godmother) will circulate with and briefly chat with the guests, often posing for pictures. Reservations are required, and over the years wait times have ranged from two days to (for dinner) nearly 6 months.


Cinderella's Fairy Tale Hall

In Tokyo Disneyland, Cinderella Castle contains a walk-through attraction. At the lobby and corridor, guests will find eight murals showing how Cinderella changed from beloved daughter, to servant girl, and then to Princess. They will also see a diorama of Cinderella magically transformed into wearing a beautiful ball gown, and other artworks made from various materials such as paper, wood and glass. In the Grand Hall guests will find a magnificent chandelier, the renowned glass slipper, a throne, and special paintings that reveal a magical message when photographed using a flash.


Stage musical


''Disney's Cinderella KIDS''

''Disney's Cinderella KIDS'' is a scaled-down stage musical version of the film known as Disney's Cinderella KIDS is frequently performed by schools and children's theaters.


Video games


''Cinderella: Magical Dreams''

''Cinderella: Magical Dreams'' is a video game based on the film of the same name. The game was released September 20, 2005.


''Cinderella's Dollhouse''

''Disney's Cinderella Dollhouse'' is a point-and-click computer game released by Disney Interactive in 2000.


''Cinderella Dollhouse 2''

''Cinderella Dollhouse 2'' is a point-and-click computer game released by Disney Interactive in 2000.


''Cinderella's Castle Designer''

''Cinderella's Castle Designer'' is computer game that allows players to build the castles from 1950's ''Cinderella''.


Disney Princess games

Because Cinderella is a Disney Princess, there is an overlap between the Cinderella and Princess franchises. '' Disney Princess: Enchanting Storybooks'' is a video game based on the Disney Princess franchise, developed and published by THQ and was released for the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS on November 8, 2011. '' Disney Princess Cinderella'' is a 2003 adventure video game developed by Art Co., Ltd for the Game Boy Advance. The game has the princesses completing several levels. '' Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey'' is a 2007 video game released for PlayStation 2, Wii and PC.


'' Kingdom Hearts'' series

Cinderella and Fairy Godmother appear in the first '' Kingdom Hearts'' video game. A world based on the film, Castle of Dreams, appears in '' Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'', in addition to them two also appearing Jaq, Lucifer, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, Drizella and the Grand Duke. Fairy Godmother returns in the ''
Kingdom Hearts III is a 2019 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, and Nintendo Switch. It is the third main installment in the '' Kingdom Hearts'' series and the twelfth game overall, and ser ...
'' DLC ''Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind'', and in '' Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory''.


''Disney Magic Kingdoms''

Cinderella, Prince Charming, Fairy Godmother, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia and Drizella appear as playable characters in the video game ''
Disney Magic Kingdoms ''Disney Magic Kingdoms'' is a 2016 city-building game developed and published by Gameloft for iOS, Android, and Windows. It is themed off the Disney Parks. The game was officially launched on March 17, 2016. Gameplay and story The game ta ...
''.


Music


Soundtrack

The soundtrack for ''Cinderella'' was first released by Walt Disney Records on February 4, 1997 and included a bonus demo. On October 4, 2005 Disney released a special edition of the soundtrack album of ''Cinderella'', for the Platinum Edition DVD release, which includes several demo songs cut from the final film, a new song, and a cover version of " A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes".


Other

The franchise's titular protagonist,
Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...
, is part of the characters in the '' Disney Princess'' franchise.


References

{{Cinderella Mass media franchises introduced in 1950 Musical film series Romance film series American romantic musical films Walt Disney Studios (division) franchises Fantasy film franchises Films based on Cinderella