Did it really take Disney seven long years to realize there was franchise potential in its 2007 fairytale "Enchanted"? The animation-meets-real-world film became a success thanks to a smart production that took itself just the right amount of seriously, its collection of hummable songs and Amy Adams' all-in performance. The movie raked in over $340 million worldwide, so it's a surprise to everyone that Disney waited so long to consider a sequel.
Deadline is reporting that Disney has taken its first concrete action on the road to an "Enchanted" sequel by hiring a pair of screenwriters to write the script. J. David Stern & David N. Weiss are best known for writing family-friendly animated fare like "Shrek 2" (arguably the best in the series), "The Rugrats Movie" (meh) and both of the live-action "Smurfs" films (shudder).
"Enchanted" was directed by Kevin Lima, who is not expected to return for the sequel, according to Deadline. Taking over the director's chair is Anne Fletcher, whose biggest hits include "Step Up" and "The Proposal." This will be her first foray into animation — assuming the sequel even includes animated segments.
"Enchanted" was the story of a traditional Disney princess, Giselle, who found herself whisked away into the real world, where she became a genuine flesh-and-blood human. It was an obvious riff on "Sleeping Beauty," complete with a wicked queen who transformed into a dragon at the climax and a heroine who required a "true love's kiss" to awaken.
Surprisingly, the culture clash resulted in Giselle changing New York City more than it changed her. The movie could be described as a cheesy idea that turned out far better than it had any right to, and that's largely thanks to the cast that committed wholeheartedly to their roles, including Idina Menzel, Susan Sarandon, James Marsden, Patrick Dempsey and of course Amy Adams.
Does the success of "Frozen" have anything to do with Disney's late-blooming sequel interest? Could be. Maybe Idina Menzel, who also starred in "Frozen" as Queen Elsa, whispered the notion in some Disney exec's ear during an after-Oscar party. We may never know, but Disney has yet to announce any actors attached to the sequel. It's hard to imagine a new "Enchanted" being made — not to mention successful — without Amy Adams, whose sincere work as Giselle made her a star.
