Anne Hathaway is heading back into the world of Ella Enchanted, but this time as an executive producer. The actress is re‑entering the beloved story as a key creative force behind a new Ella Enchanted TV series headed to Disney+, from Miramax and Paramount TV Studios, Deadline reports.
The project centers on the titular teen girl cursed with the “gift” of obedience and is pulling away from the 2004 film’s largely Cinderella‑style romantic fantasy setup. Instead, the series will lean into a coming‑of‑age vibe with a fresh boarding‑school setting, giving Ella a chance to navigate friendship, bullying, and independence far beyond the castle‑centric world of the original movie.
The storyline will expand on four chapters in Gail Carson Levine’s 1997 novel, which chronicle Ella’s time at a boarding‑style finishing school where she’s mercilessly picked on, but also finds a true best friend. The 2004 film, directed by Tommy O’Haver and written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, was itself adapted from Levine’s novel.
Opening on April 9th, 2004, it earned $6,169,030 in its opening weekend, landing at No. 9 at the domestic box office. Now, with Hathaway guiding the TV retelling, fans can expect a deeper, more serialized look at Ella’s journey… one that honors the spirit of the original while reinventing it for a new generation.
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