Disney has announced plans for another live-action Cinderella film, but this one comes with a fresh twist. Rather than centering on the iconic princess, the story will shift its focus to her infamous stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella, giving them a chance to take the spotlight.
Titled Stepsisters, the film will be directed by Akiva Schaffer (Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers) from a script written by the duo of Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. The trio previously won the Outstanding Television Movie Award at the 74th Primetime Emmys, and Disney is obviously looking for repeat magic.
Beyond their earlier Disney work, Schaffer, Gregor, and Mand recently teamed up on Paramount’s reboot of The Naked Gun, which starred Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson.
An earlier draft of the Stepsisters script was written by Michael Montemayor, best known for his work on Tangled. However, that version is expected to be reworked to better fit this artistic vision of the new creative team, though Montemayor will likely still receive a story credit on the film.
In the anthology-formatted direct-to-video sequel Cinderella II: Dreams Come True, one of the three stories told focuses on Anastasia in a surprisingly heartfelt story about her falling in love with a baker and choosing her own path over her mother’s expectations. There's no word on whether the upcoming live-action film will contain touches of the previous story.
A prior live-action take on Cinderella was released in 2015, which starred Lily James, Cate Blanchett, and Richard Madden. The film grossed $543.4 million at the global box office from an estimated production budget of $95 million. The film also achieved an 84% approval rating on the aggregate film review website, Rotten Tomatoes. The success of the 2015 pic is what arguably kicked off the Disney trend of live-action remakes of animated classics, though some attribute the idea to 2014's Maleficent.
Similar to how there's no confirmed news on whether Stepsisters will contain elements of Dreams Come True, there's also no word on whether the film will be a direct continuation of the Lily James-led adaptation.
Disney has released over 20 live-action remakes or reimaginings of classic animated fairytales to date, including Lilo & Stitch (2025), Snow White (2025), Mufasa: The Lion King (2024), The Little Mermaid (2023), Cruella (2021), and Mulan (2020).
Up next on Disney's lremake slate will be a live-action take on the somewhat recent Moana, set to hit theaters on July 10, 2026. Other live-action remakes in the works include Tangled, Hercules, The Aristocats and Bambi.