Meet the Fairy Godmother
Kenneth Branagh has cast fellow British thespian Helena Bonham Carter in his upcoming directorial project, Cinderella. The actress, who played Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter fi lms, is to take the part of the Fairy Godmother in this new big-budget production of the classic tale.
Branagh has honed his directing credentials with numerous Shakespeare adaptations and is now working with Disney to bring the Brothers Grimm story to life. Bonham Carter, whose career has spanned more than 30 years, is no stranger to Hollywood productions either. Along with Harry Potter, she has appeared in some of the most successful fi lms of recent times, including Les Misèrables and The King’s Speech.
Bonham Carter is also married to quirky and hugely successful director Tim Burton, and the pair often collaborate professionally. She has had starring roles in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street and Alice In Wonderland, all under her husband’s directorship.
The British contingent is further strengthened in Branagh’s Cinderella by rising actress Lily James. The 24-year-old, who was most recently seen as Lady Rose MacClare in the last series of Downton Abbey, is set to take the eponymous role in the fi lm (apparently pipping Oscar-nominated Saoirse Ronan to the post).
Scottish actor (and Game Of Thrones star) Richard Madden is set to capture hearts as the film’s Prince Charming, while Hollywood superstar Cate Blanchett is sure to terrify as the wicked stepmother. Little detail about the new rendering of the much-loved story has been announced, but the screenplay for the film has been penned by esteemed writers Aline Brosh McKenna, of The Devil Wears Prada fame, and Chris Weitz, who worked on the screenplay of About A Boy.
It is rumoured that Cinderella has a seven-figure budget, and is scheduled for release in 2015. The most famous version is Disney’s original feature-length cartoon, which was first shown on the silver screen in 1950. When it was re-mastered and released on DVD in 2005, it sold 3.2 million copies within the first week.
Branagh has honed his directing credentials with numerous Shakespeare adaptations and is now working with Disney to bring the Brothers Grimm story to life. Bonham Carter, whose career has spanned more than 30 years, is no stranger to Hollywood productions either. Along with Harry Potter, she has appeared in some of the most successful fi lms of recent times, including Les Misèrables and The King’s Speech.
Bonham Carter is also married to quirky and hugely successful director Tim Burton, and the pair often collaborate professionally. She has had starring roles in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street and Alice In Wonderland, all under her husband’s directorship.
The British contingent is further strengthened in Branagh’s Cinderella by rising actress Lily James. The 24-year-old, who was most recently seen as Lady Rose MacClare in the last series of Downton Abbey, is set to take the eponymous role in the fi lm (apparently pipping Oscar-nominated Saoirse Ronan to the post).
Scottish actor (and Game Of Thrones star) Richard Madden is set to capture hearts as the film’s Prince Charming, while Hollywood superstar Cate Blanchett is sure to terrify as the wicked stepmother. Little detail about the new rendering of the much-loved story has been announced, but the screenplay for the film has been penned by esteemed writers Aline Brosh McKenna, of The Devil Wears Prada fame, and Chris Weitz, who worked on the screenplay of About A Boy.
It is rumoured that Cinderella has a seven-figure budget, and is scheduled for release in 2015. The most famous version is Disney’s original feature-length cartoon, which was first shown on the silver screen in 1950. When it was re-mastered and released on DVD in 2005, it sold 3.2 million copies within the first week.