Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella, being backed by Disney, looks to be a pretty faithful remake of the animated classic. (No songs from the Brandy/Whitney Houston musical, or the complete reimagining of Ever After.) Downton Abbey‘s Lily James is poor Ella, forced to serve her evil stepmother (Cate Blanchett, who looks like she will be delightfully mean) and awful stepsisters. Until, that is, Ella’s fairy godmother (Helena Bonham Carter) reveals herself and whips up a pumpkin carriage, blue dress, and glass slippers for Ella to enjoy the ball.
Talking to Entertainment Weekly, Branagh said:
I believe that there are expectations of a Disney Cinderella, which demand you use the tenets of the story. So, of course, we give people a pumpkin. Of course, we give them a carriage. Of course the mice are going to transform into the horses. Everything that you might expect is there.
You can see all that in the trailer below:
Cinderella comes to theaters March 13, 2015.