‘Ella Enchanted’ TV Series Executive Produced By Anne Hathaway In Works At Disney+ From Miramax & Paramount TV Studios

A cult classic fairytale movie starring Disney royalty is getting a series adaptation at Disney+. The streamer has landed for development Ella Enchanted, a TV series based on the 2004 Miramax film, Deadline has learned. The film’s star, Anne Hathaway, is executive producing the potential series, which is written by Ilana Wolpert (Anyone But You), with Beth Schwartz (Dead Boy Detectives) as showrunner, and co-produced by Miramax Television and Paramount Television Studios, I hear.

In it, when 16-year-old Ella of Frell — cursed at birth to obey every command — is sent to boarding school after her mother’s untimely death, she begins to uncover the truth about her curse, builds an unlikely found family, and deals with an extremely inconvenient crush on the prince of her kingdom.

The series, now in early stages of development, keeps the basic premise of the movie and Gail Carson Levine’s book it was loosely based on — it centers on the eponymous teen girl stuck with the unfortunate “gift” of obedience. But it’s pulling away from being largely a Cinderella retelling romantic fantasy by giving the story a coming-of-age feel with a boarding school setting, which is not in the film. Four chapters in Levine’s novel chronicle Ella’s stay at a boarding-style finishing school for girls where she is mercilessly bullied but also finds a best friend. The boarding school backdrop of Ella Enchanted also echoes Wednesday‘s reframing of the Addams Family lore.

Wolpert and Schwartz executive produce alongside Hathaway, Johnathan Rice and Adam Shulman via Somewhere Pictures as well as iGen Studios, the company behind Netflix’s popular YA series My Life with the Walter Boys.

Ella Enchanted already has Disney ties, it was made while Miramax was owned by the entertainment conglom, with Buena Vista International handling distribution outside of the U.S.

Miramax is now 49% owned by Paramount, with the two companies increasing their collaboration under new Miramax CEO Jonathan Glickman following Paramount’s acquisition of Paramount in August. Mining the Miramax library has been a focus, with Ella Enchanted as the second high-profile series adaptation Miramax Television and Paramount TV Studios have taken out together, following Cop Land, from the film’s James Mangold.

The deal at Disney+ extends Hathaway’s longstanding relationship with Disney. She started her career at the company as a teenager with The Other Side of Heaven and The Princess Diaries, the latter of which became a global hit and spawned a sequel which she also headlined. Currently starring in the studio’s latest hit, The Devil Wears Prada 2, she spoke about her Disney connection when she opened Disney’s upfront presentation last week, introducing new CEO Josh D’Amaro.

“Like so many of you, I was introduced to Disney as a child, learning how to dream and tell stories,” she said. “Playing Mia in Princess Diaries became this magical portal that opened up my whole life and now with the Devil Wears Prada franchise; these two films that have shaped my career the most are at the same wonderful home, and I am so honored to be a part of the family.”

Wolpert also has Disney ties; she got her first writing job on Disney+’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. She also co-wrote the hit romantic comedy movie Anyone But You and recently worked as a writer on Prime Video’s YA series The Runarounds.

Schwartz was executive producer/showrunner on the seventh and eighth season of the CW’s Arrow and executive producer/co-showrunner on the Netflix series Sweet Tooth and Dead Boy Detectives.

Hathaway, currently also starring in Mother Mary, will be seen in three more movies this year, The Odyssey, The End of Oak Street and Verity. She is repped by CAA, Entertainment 360 and attorney Jason Sloane. Wolpert is repped by UTA, Curate and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis. Schwartz is repped by Felker McGinnis & Ryan.

Via: Deadline