The official trailer for “Disenchanted” just dropped, and there is plenty to unpack. The sequel to the 2007 Disney film “Enchanted” will be available for streaming exclusively on Disney+ starting Nov. 24.
The original cast is back for even more fairytale hijinks. Returning actors include Amy Adams as Giselle, Patrick Dempsey as Robert, Rachel Covey as Morgan, Idina Menzel as Nancy and James Marsden as Prince Edward. Maya Rudolph plays a new character, Malvina Monroe.
The trailer opens with Giselle, still as optimistic and prone to spontaneous singing as ever. Giselle, her husband Robert and his daughter Morgan leave the city behind for the seemingly mundane town of Monroeville, where a sign reads, “Welcome to Monroeville. Your Fairy Tale starts here.” When Prince Edward and Princess Nancy visit the new home, Giselle confides in Nancy that real life is proving to be a lot of work.
Things soon go awry when Giselle uses a magic wand to wish for her ideal fairytale life to be realized. Elements from classical fairytales begin to transform the ordinary neighborhood into something unrecognizable. Perhaps most ominous are the vines – similar to those in Sleeping Beauty – growing uncontrollably around the property, eventually entrapping Morgan.
The banner halfway through the trailer reads, “Festival of Monrolasia,” the hybrid name of Monroe and Andalasia, marking the town’s transition from reality to fantasy.
The wardrobe does an excellent job of conveying story beats. Morgan transitions from a modern teenage girl in T-shirts to donning a blue gown akin to Cinderella’s ballroom dress. What appears to be one of Giselle’s final outfits in the film may be a callback to Lady Tremaine, the evil stepmother in “Cinderella” (poofy sleeves, tall hairstyle, brooch in the center of the bodice).
One of the main conflicts of the film will likely be the relationship between Giselle and her stepdaughter Morgan. As reality begins to bend to the unconventional rules of fantasy, the typically loving Giselle behaves like a callous and cruel stepmother. She locks Morgan away in a room and pushes her into a well. This is a clever take on the evil stepmother trope and calls attention to Disney’s unfortunate history of villainizing stepmothers.
The new character Malvina Monroe appears to be an antagonist in the story, but it’s unclear whether or not her villainy predates Giselle’s use of the magic wand. Monroe is likely related to the founders of Monroeville, and her likeness is used on the town’s welcome sign to bring attention to the “Fairy Tale” line. This link between Monroe, the town and the sign could be foreshadowing Malvina’s preexisting knowledge of magic.
Other nods to the original Disney fairytales include smiling neighbors in medieval clothes performing a choreographed dance number, a brief shot of a character imprisoned in a magic mirror, a wishing well in a backyard, a horse-drawn carriage and a cauldron painted on the talking scroll. Talking chipmunk Pip and the magical teleporting waterfall from the first film also make an appearance.
The trailer for “Disenchanted” is whimsical, fun and equal parts nostalgic and original. Disney has had its share of missteps when it comes to sequels, but this film looks refreshing and unique. Hopefully it will prove an entertaining and worthy successor to one of the 2000s’ greatest Disney films.