Kenneth Branagh

[MacGuffin]

Disney Chooses 'Downton Abbey' Actress as Cinderella
Lily James will star in Kenneth Branagh's live-action interpretation of the beloved classic tale.
Source: THR

Disney has found someone to wear the magic slipper.

Lily James (Downton Abbey) will star as Cinderella in Disney's upcoming live-action interpretation of the classic tale.

Kenneth Branagh will direct, with Cate Blanchett playing the evil stepmother.

James played Lady Rose McClare on season three of Downtown Abbey. She will reprise her role for season four. The British actress' previous film work includes playing Korrina in Warner Bros.' Wrath of the Titans.

Emma Watson was previously in talks to star as the famous princess, but a deal never closed.

The Cinderella project was first set up at Disney in May 2010 in the wake of the studio's success with Alice in Wonderland, the live-action adaptation of the Lewis C. Carroll book that starred Johnny Depp.

Devil Wears Prada writer Aline Brosh McKenna wrote the initial draft of the script.

James is repped by UTA in the U.S. and Charles Collier at Tavistock Wood in the U.K.

[Pubrick]

in the wake of the studio's success with Alice in Wonderland, the live-action adaptation of the Lewis C. Carroll book that starred Johnny Depp.

i still can't believe that piece of shit was such a huge success.

burton has unleashed some of the most heinous assaults on cinema in the last 12 years but due to its success that one has to be the single most devastating blow to the medium he hopefully will ever deliver. a billion fucking dollars.. for something that didn't even LOOK good in 3D. and now everyone wants to HAS to copy it?

i feel like marge gunderson here.. i just don't understand it.