Cinderella (2015 American film) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Cinderella (2015 American film)
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Kenneth Branagh
Produced by	Simon Kinberg Allison Shearmur David Barron
Screenplay by	Chris Weitz
Starring	Cate Blanchett Lily James Richard Madden Stellan Skarsgård Holliday Grainger Derek Jacobi Helena Bonham Carter
Music by	Patrick Doyle
Cinematography	Haris Zambarloukos
Editing by	Martin Walsh
Studio	Walt Disney Pictures Kinberg Genre Allison Shearmur Productions Beagle Pug Films
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release date(s)	February 13, 2015 (2015-02-13) (Berlinale) March 13, 2015 (2015-03-13) (United States) March 27, 2015 (2015-03-27) (United Kingdom)
Running time	106 minutes
Country	United States United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	$84.21–95 million
Money made	$542.4 million

Cinderella is a magical romantic fantasy film from 2015. It was directed by Kenneth Branagh and written by Chris Weitz. This movie is a live-action version of Walt Disney's classic 1950 animated film. It is also based on the famous Charles Perrault fairy tale.

Lily James stars as the kindhearted Cinderella. The film also features Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Stellan Skarsgård, Holliday Grainger, Sophie McShera, Derek Jacobi, and Helena Bonham Carter.

Work on Cinderella began in 2010. Mark Romanek was first chosen to direct, but Kenneth Branagh took over in 2013. Filming happened in England from September to December 2013.

The movie first showed at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival on February 13, 2015. It was released in the United States on March 13, 2015. Cinderella earned over $542 million worldwide. Critics gave the film good reviews. It was also nominated for awards for its amazing costume design.

The Story of Cinderella

Ella's Early Life

Ella is a kind girl living happily with her parents. Her mother teaches her to always be brave and kind. Sadly, Ella's mother gets sick and passes away.

Years later, Ella's father marries Lady Tremaine. Lady Tremaine has two daughters, Drisella and Anastasia. When Ella's father goes away for business, Lady Tremaine shows her true, cruel nature. She makes Ella move to the attic and gives her room to the stepsisters.

Life as Cinderella

Ella's father then dies unexpectedly. Lady Tremaine fires the servants to save money. This forces Ella to do all the housework. Because her face is often covered in ashes from the fireplace, her stepfamily calls her "Cinderella."

One day, feeling sad, Ella rides into the woods. There, she meets a young man named Kit. He pretends to be a palace apprentice. They like each other, but Ella leaves without telling him her name.

The Royal Ball

Back at the palace, Kit learns his father, the King, is very ill. The King wants Kit to find a princess to marry. Kit convinces his father to invite all young women to a royal ball. He secretly hopes Ella will come.

Ella wants to see Kit again. She fixes her mother's old dress to wear to the ball. But her stepfamily tears her dress and leaves her behind. Crying in the garden, Ella meets an old beggar woman. This woman reveals she is Ella's Fairy Godmother.

The Fairy Godmother uses magic to help Ella. She turns a pumpkin into a carriage. Mice become horses, lizards become footmen, and a goose becomes the coachman. Ella's torn dress changes into a beautiful ball gown. She also gets a pair of sparkling glass slippers. The Fairy Godmother warns Ella that the magic will end at midnight. She also casts a spell so Ella's stepfamily won't recognize her.

Midnight's Magic Ends

At the ball, Kit is thrilled to see Ella. They share the first dance. The Grand Duke, who wants Kit to marry a princess for political reasons, is annoyed. Ella learns Kit is the prince and they connect deeply. But before she can tell him her name, the clock strikes midnight. Ella runs from the palace, losing one of her glass slippers. The Grand Duke chases her, but Ella hides just as the magic disappears. She hides the other slipper under the floorboards at home.

Finding the Princess

The King gives Kit his blessing to marry Ella before he dies. As the new King, Kit announces he will marry the "mystery princess." He asks her to come forward. Ella tries to get her slipper, but Lady Tremaine finds it first. Lady Tremaine demands to be head of the royal household if Ella wants to marry Kit. Ella refuses. Lady Tremaine then locks Ella in the attic and breaks the slipper. She takes the broken pieces to the Grand Duke. She tells him the truth about Ella. The Grand Duke agrees to make Lady Tremaine a countess if she keeps Ella hidden.

Kit orders his Captain and the Grand Duke to find the princess. They must try the remaining slipper on every woman in the kingdom. At Tremaine's house, the slipper does not fit either stepsister. As they prepare to leave, they hear Ella singing in the attic. Kit, who secretly came along, orders the Captain to investigate. Lady Tremaine is forced to let Ella out. Ella tries on the slipper, and it fits perfectly. As she leaves with Kit, she forgives her stepmother.

Soon after, Lady Tremaine, her daughters, and the Grand Duke leave the kingdom forever. Ella and Kit marry and become beloved rulers. They rule with the same courage and kindness Ella's mother taught her.

Meet the Cast

Cate Blanchett plays Lady Tremaine. She is Ella's stepmother, who is bitter and jealous. Cate Blanchett said her character is "a woman who has tried to start her life again." She becomes jealous of the love Ella's father has for his daughter.
Lily James is Ella, also known as Cinderella. Ella is a strong and kind young woman. She is forced to work as a maid in her own home. Lily James described Ella as "a kind, good person that is able to be happy in a cruel environment." She believes this is Ella's "superpower."
- Eloise Webb plays Ella when she is 10 years old.
Richard Madden plays Prince Kit. He is a humble and noble prince who falls in love with Ella. Richard Madden said his character "had a sense of humor" and cared about others.
Helena Bonham Carter is the Fairy Godmother. She is a bit silly but very caring. She helps Ella get to the ball. She also tells the story as the film's narrator.
Nonso Anozie plays the Captain. He is Kit's loyal best friend and advisor. Nonso Anozie said his character is "somebody who's rooting for him [Kit] to get what he wants."
Stellan Skarsgård plays the Grand Duke. He is a clever royal official who wants the kingdom to be rich. Stellan Skarsgård said his character "runs the show" and does not believe in marrying for love.
Sophie McShera and Holliday Grainger play Drisella and Anastasia Tremaine. They are Lady Tremaine's vain and selfish daughters. Sophie McShera said they are "pretty vile, but we look ridiculous." Holliday Grainger added that they are "so needy" and jealous of Cinderella.
Derek Jacobi plays the King. He is Kit's strict but loving father. He wants his son to marry for the good of the kingdom. Derek Jacobi said his character wants his son to inherit a "safe and secure kingdom."

Other actors include Ben Chaplin and Hayley Atwell as Ella's parents. Rob Brydon plays Master Phineus, the royal painter. Jana Pérez is Princess Chelina of Zaragoza. She is the princess the Grand Duke wants Kit to marry.

Making the Movie

How the Idea Started

Mark Romanek was first chosen to direct the film.

Walt Disney Pictures started thinking about a live-action version of Cinderella in 2010. This was after the movie Alice in Wonderland (2010) did very well. The studio wanted to make a "definitive Cinderella" that would be remembered for a long time.

At first, the story idea was very different. Cinderella was imagined as a knight who had to find her way back to the prince. But Disney wanted a more "recognizable" version of the classic fairy tale.

In 2011, Mark Romanek was hired to direct. But he left in 2013 because his ideas for the film were darker than Disney wanted. Later that month, Kenneth Branagh became the new director.

Choosing the Actors

Top row: Cate Blanchett, Lily James, Richard Madden, and Helena Bonham Carter play Lady Tremaine, Ella, Kit, and Fairy Godmother.
Bottom row: Nonso Anozie, Stellan Skarsgård, Sophie McShera, and Holliday Grainger portray Captain, Grand Duke, Drisella and Anastasia Tremaine.

In November 2012, Cate Blanchett was chosen to play Lady Tremaine. She was the first actor to join the movie. The filmmakers said she was always their only choice for the role.

Many actresses were considered for Cinderella. These included Saoirse Ronan and Emma Watson. Finally, in April 2013, Lily James was cast as Cinderella. She had originally auditioned for the role of Anastasia. The casting director suggested she try out for Cinderella instead. The next month, Richard Madden was cast as Prince Kit.

By June 2013, Holliday Grainger was chosen as Anastasia. Sophie McShera joined as Drisella. Helena Bonham Carter was cast as the Fairy Godmother. Like Cate Blanchett, she was the first and only choice for her part. Later, Stellan Skarsgård joined as the Grand Duke. Hayley Atwell played Cinderella's mother. As filming began, Derek Jacobi was cast as the King, and Nonso Anozie as the Captain.

Amazing Costumes

Sandy Powell designed the costumes. She started planning almost two years before filming. She wanted the costumes to look like a 19th-century film made in the 1940s or 1950s.

The Fairy Godmother's costume was very different from the animated film. It was a grand white ballgown with fairy wings and a very full skirt. The skirt even had lights underneath!

For the stepmother and stepsisters, Powell wanted them to look "ridiculous on the outside." This showed their "ugly on the inside" personalities. The prince's costumes were made to look more fitted and were dyed to match Richard Madden's eyes.

Cinderella's ball gown was inspired by the animated movie's color and shape. Powell wanted it to look like she was "floating, like a watercolor painting." The dress had many layers of fabric, a corset, and a petticoat. Nine versions of the gown were made. Each used over 270 yards of fabric and 10,000 crystals. It took 18 tailors and 500 hours to make each dress.

The wedding dress was also a big challenge. Powell wanted it to be "completely different and simple" from the ball gown. It was made of silk-organza and hand-painted. It took 16 people and 550 hours to finish. Only one wedding dress was made. During a photo shoot, it accidentally caught fire near an electric heater!

For the famous glass slipper, Powell was inspired by an old shoe in a museum. Since real glass doesn't sparkle, they used crystal. Swarovski helped make the shoes. They created eight pairs of crystal shoes, but none could actually be worn. So, the leather shoes Lily James wore were changed to look like crystal using computers. Swarovski also provided over 7 million crystals for other costumes and 100 tiaras for the ball scene.

Filming Locations

Filming for Cinderella started on September 23, 2013. It took place at Pinewood Studios in England. Other filming locations included Hampton Court Palace, Blenheim Palace, Windsor Castle, and Cliveden. The royal palace in the movie was mostly made with computers, but it was based on the Zwinger in Germany.

After Filming

After filming, the movie went through "post-production." This means editing and adding special effects. It was finished in August 2014. The film was rated PG for "mild thematic elements." In the United Kingdom, it received a "U" rating for "very mild scenes of emotional upset."

Movie Music

Patrick Doyle composed the music for the film. He has worked on many of Kenneth Branagh's other movies, like Hamlet and Thor. He also composed music for the Disney·Pixar film Brave. Doyle recorded the music with the London Symphony Orchestra in London.

Promoting the Film

First Looks and Trailers

The film was first shown at Disney's D23 Expo in August 2013. A preview was also shown at CinemaCon in March 2014. This preview showed Cinderella meeting the prince and her dress being torn. It also showed a funny scene with the Fairy Godmother.

The first official trailer came out on May 15, 2014. It was short and only showed a sparkling glass slipper. The second, longer trailer came out on November 19, 2014. It showed actual scenes from the movie. This trailer was viewed 4.2 million times on YouTube and 33 million times on Facebook in its first 24 hours. This was a record for Disney films (except Marvel movies). The movie's official poster, photographed by Annie Leibovitz, was also released.

The Book Version

A book version of the film, called a novelization, was written by Elizabeth Rudnick. It was published in January 2015.

Movie Release

In Theaters

Cinderella first premiered at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival on February 13, 2015. It was released in theaters on March 13, 2015. Before the movie, audiences also saw the Walt Disney Animation Studios short film Frozen Fever, which featured characters from Frozen. The film was also shown in IMAX theaters around the world.

In September 2020, the film returned to theaters in the United Kingdom after they reopened from the COVID-19 pandemic.

At Home

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released Cinderella on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD on September 15, 2015. The Blu-ray included extra features like a different opening, the Frozen Fever short, and behind-the-scenes videos. Five deleted scenes were available on Disney Movies Anywhere. The film was also released on 4K Blu-ray in June 2019.

Cinderella was shown on TV channels like TBS and TNT starting in 2017. It also aired on ABC’s Wonderful World of Disney in January 2021.