20 Years Ago, Best Fantasy Comedy Bombed in Theaters Despite Beating the Original Book on Every Front
It was a rare case where the changes made by the studio only replenished the original source.
The 21st century in cinema can rightly be called the era of Hollywood franchises, most of which fell into the once-popular fantasy genre. Harry Potter, Divergent, The Hunger Games – all these movie series were based on a literary source, which determined their popularity. However, there are often cases where the cinematography reveals the author's ideas much better than what was presented in the book.
In 1997, artist Gail Carson Levine decided to try a new role and wrote a novel that was essentially an extended and rather freely retold story of Cinderella. The book, like the famous fairy tale, featured an evil stepmother with two wicked daughters, a shy stepdaughter, and a handsome prince. Gail added magical creatures to the story, essentially creating a new universe.
The novel became a bestseller, and its success helped Gail decide to quit her previous job and devote herself entirely to writing. To date, three novels have been published, all of which are set in the same universe. And the first book was Ella Enchanted.
The popularity of the novel about Ella grew, and in 2004, director Tommy O'Haver released a feature-length fairy tale movie based on the story.
What is Ella Enchanted About?
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From childhood, Ella grows up to be an obedient girl who does everything others tell her without question. All because the fairy Lucinda gave her the gift of obedience. While Ella grows up with her mother, no one knows about this gift, but when the girl's mother dies, her father marries the treacherous Dame Olga.
Together with her two daughters, she begins to use Ella, giving her orders. One day, Ella cannot stand the pressure and ridicule of her stepmother and sisters and runs away from home to find the fairy who bewitched her. Thanks to her friendly nature, the girl quickly makes new friends and even meets a handsome prince.
It Was the Second Princess Role for Anne Hathaway After The Princess Diaries
After the success of The Princess Diaries, Disney producers realized that Anne Hathaway was perfect for fairy tales. Anne herself was a huge fan of the original book, so she gladly accepted the offer. And the role of the prince was played by an actor familiar to many viewers, Hugh Dancy – nine years later, he would play Will Graham in the TV series Hannibal.
Changes Made by The Creators Only Made Story Better
Ella Enchanted was one of the most popular young adult books of the late 90s. However, the creators of the movie of the same name changed the story significantly, making it look more like The Swan Princess than Cinderella.
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As Hathaway herself admitted, the book's plot simply did not work on the big screen. In addition, a number of the film's characters, including the villain played by Cary Elwes, were given bright and charismatic features against which the book's characters pale.
Ella Enchanted bombed at the box office, grossing only $27 million, and it didn't deserve to – it's a charming fairy tale full of magical creatures and thought-out characters (and references to Shrek) that the whole family can enjoy.