Disenchanted is a 2022 American live-action/animated musical fantasy comedy film directed by Adam Shankman and written by Brigitte Hales, based on a story by Richard LaGravenese and the writing team of J. David Stem and David N. Weiss. Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Josephson Entertainment, and Right Coast Productions, it is the sequel to the 2007 film Enchanted.
Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, and Idina Menzel reprise their roles from the first film, with newcomer Gabriella Baldacchino taking over for Rachel Covey (who makes a cameo as a different character). New cast members include Maya Rudolph, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jayma Mays, Kolton Stewart, Oscar Nunez, and Griffin Newman. Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz return as the film's songwriters, while Menken also composed the score. Adams also served as a producer of the film alongside Barry Josephson and Barry Sonnenfeld.
Talks of an Enchanted sequel began in early 2010, but the project languished in development hell for several years. By 2017, it was announced Adams had signed on to reprise her role and filming was set to begin that summer, but it never came to fruition. The film was officially announced in December 2020, with the cast joining in spring 2021 and filming taking place in Ireland between May and July that year.
Disenchanted premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on November 16, 2022, and was released in the United States via Disney+ on November 18. Unlike its predecessor, the film received generally mixed reviews from critics, who mostly praised Adams's performance but felt it lacked the charm of the original.
Plot
Approximately 10 years after the first film, Giselle and Robert Philip are living happily together with their two daughters — infant Sofia and teenage Morgan, Robert's daughter from his marriage to his late first wife. Dissatisfied with life in Manhattan, Giselle plans to move the family to the suburban town of Monroeville. However, this seems to create new problems when their new house is in need of renovations, Robert must commute to continue his job, and Morgan feels like an outcast at her new school.
King Edward and Queen Nancy visit from Andalasia via a well from the house's backyard. As Sofia's godparents, they present her with a wish-granting wand. Giselle meets Malvina Monroe, the arrogant head of the town council, who is hosting a fairy tale-themed ball with her son Tyson as the elected prince. Giselle tries to get Morgan elected princess but inadvertently embarrasses her, causing a furious Morgan to disown her as her mother.
After consulting with her chipmunk friend Pip, Giselle uses the wand to wish her family's life to be a "perfect fairy tale". The next day, the town has transformed into a fantasy kingdom called Monrolasia. Morgan is now content with their new life, Robert believes himself to be a brave adventurer, and Malvina is an evil queen with magical powers. Giselle, however, discovers uncharacteristically haughty behavior and finds pleasure in mistreating Morgan. Realizing she is slowly becoming a wicked stepmother, she consults the wand's instruction scroll for help. The scroll reveals Andalasia's magic is being used to transform the real world into a fairy tale, which will become permanent after midnight.
Malvina learns about the wand and enlists her servants Rosaleen and Ruby to steal it. However, the scroll states that the wand can only be used by a "true Andalasian". Giselle realizes that without the wand, she will lose herself to her wicked side, so she convinces Morgan to save them before sending her to Andalasia through the well.
Morgan learns that Andalsia's magic is transported to Monrolasia through a vortex and once the spell becomes permanent, Andalasia will disappear forever. Nancy and Edward suggest she use the magic of their memories to remind Giselle of her true self. Morgan lets the magic imbue itself onto her childhood drawing of their family tree with pictures of their shared memories, then heads back to the real world with Nancy.
Now under the influence of her evil personality, Giselle challenges Malvina for the royal title of Monrolasia. She sends Pip, who has been turned into a tabby cat, to steal back the wand while also sending Robert on an assumed futile search for Morgan. At the ball, Giselle and Malvina engage in a magic duel with the former easily overpowering the latter due to possessing the wand. Morgan and Nancy meet up with Robert and Tyson before rushing into the town hall to stop the duel. Morgan tosses her drawing to Giselle who rips it, but the magic within brings the memories to life, restoring Giselle to normal.
Not wanting the spell to be broken, Malvina takes Morgan hostage and demands the wand in exchange which Giselle surrenders. As midnight approaches, everything from Andalasia begins to disappear including Giselle herself. While Robert and Tyson head to the top of the clock tower to delay the final chime, Giselle tells Morgan that by being her daughter, she is a true Andalasian, therefore capable of using the wand. Morgan wishes she were home with her mother just as Malvina attempts to make the clock tower chime before it is destroyed.
Morgan awakens in their house and finds everything normal again; the spell has been broken. Only she and Giselle are aware of the events, while everyone else believes it to be a dream. Giselle apologizes to Malvina for stepping over her plans and Malvina allows her to join the town council. Some time later, Robert has started his own practice in Monroeville, Morgan and Tyson have started dating, and Nancy and Edward arrive for another visit to the Philips in their now happy life.
Cast
Amy Adams as Giselle Philip/"Stepmother", Robert's wife, Morgan's stepmother and Sofia's mother. Her Monrolasia counterpart has her slowly becoming like the wicked stepmother from Cinderella. Patrick Dempsey as Robert Philip/"Knight", a lawyer who is Giselle's husband and Morgan's and Sofia's father. His Monrolasia counterpart works as a knight. Maya Rudolph as Malvina Monroe/"Evil Queen", a realtor and the snooty head of Monroeville's town council. Her Monrolasia counterpart is similar to the Evil Queen. Yvette Nicole Brown as Rosaleen/"Minion #1", a sensible woman who is one of Malvina's assistants. Her Monrolasia counterpart works for Queen Malvina. Jayma Mays as Ruby/"Minion #2", a dimwitted woman who is one of Malvina's assistants. Her Monrolasia counterpart works for Queen Malvina. Gabriella Baldacchino as Morgan Philip/"Stepdaughter", Robert's 16-year-old daughter, Sofia's older half-sister and Giselle's stepdaughter. Baldacchino replaced Rachel Covey, who originally played Morgan in the first film. Idina Menzel as Nancy Tremaine, Edward's wife and Queen of Andalasia. James Marsden as Edward, Nancy's husband and King of Andalasia.
Oscar Nunez appears as Edgar/"Magic Mirror", a barista and Malvina's informant whose Monrolasia counterpart is a Magic Mirror that Queen Malvina owns. Kolton Stewart as Tyson Monroe/"Prince", Malvina's son and Morgan's love interest and later boyfriend whose Monrolasia counterpart is a prince. Griffin Newman provides the voice of Pip, a chipmunk friend of Giselle and the narrator of the film. Unlike the first film, Pip is able to speak in both the real world and Andalasia through magic. Newman replaces Jeff Bennett and Kevin Lima from the first film.
Alan Tudyk provides the voice of the talking scroll. James Monroe Iglehart, Michael McCorry Rose, and Ann Harada portray a weary businessman, a disgruntled businessman, and a sardonic businesswoman, Robert's fellow train commuters whose Monrolasia counterparts are a baker, a sign painter, and a florist respectively. Rachel Covey, who portrayed Morgan in the first film, has a cameo as a Monrolasia native. Twins Mila and Lara Jackson play Robert and Giselle's one-year-old daughter Sofia. LC Powell provided Giselle's coloratura soprano voice in "Fairytale Life (After the Spell)." Jodi Benson, who played Sam, the secretary at Robert's law firm in the first film, filmed a scene for the sequel, but it was ultimately cut.
Production Development In February 2010, Variety reported that Walt Disney Pictures planned to film a sequel to Enchanted (2007) with Barry Josephson and Barry Sonnenfeld producing again. Jessie Nelson was attached to write the screenplay and Anne Fletcher to direct. Disney hoped the cast members from the first film would return and for a release as early as 2011.
On January 12, 2011, composer Alan Menken was asked about the sequel in an interview, to which he replied:"I've heard things but there's nothing yet. I don't know much about what's happening with that. Honestly, I don't know what the studio wants to do next. I presume there will be some future projects for me to work on. I love doing that, I really do. But I'm not frustrated that it isn't one of them. At the moment I have a lot of stage things happening and I'm busy enough with that, so I really don't need more on my plate."Later that year, on March 28, 2011, James Marsden, who played Prince Edward in Enchanted, was asked about the sequel.
By July 2014, Disney had hired screenwriters J. David Stem and David N. Weiss to write a script for a sequel and also hired Fletcher to direct the film. In October 2016, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Adam Shankman, who is a good friend of Fletcher, entered negotiations to direct the sequel, titled Disenchanted; that Amy Adams would reprise her role; and that filming was scheduled to begin in summer 2017. In January 2018, Shankman stated that the sequel's script would be finished within a couple of weeks and the next step would be to get the music written. He also went on to say that the film would feature more songs than the original but the same amount of animation.
On May 21, 2019, Menken said that the film had not been green-lit by Disney by that point, as the writers were still "trying to get the script right." On February 28, 2020, Schwartz said that meetings about the film had taken place in London, and revealed that Shankman will also serve as the writer for the film.
In December 2020, at Disney Investor Day, Disney Studios' President of Production Sean Bailey officially announced the sequel. Reportedly, it was the work of Brigitte Hales—the most recent writer on the project—that got the sequel greenlit after 13 years.
In January 2021, Patrick Dempsey told Good Morning America that there are plans to begin production in the spring of that year.
Casting At the Disney Investor Day event, it was announced that Amy Adams would be returning as Giselle. Dempsey confirmed the news in early January 2021 during an interview on Good Morning America. (In an interview with Variety magazine in late April, Dempsey also revealed that he would be singing). In March 2021, composer Alan Menken confirmed that James Marsden and Idina Menzel would also be returning as Prince Edward and Nancy Tremaine, respectively.
In April 2021, Maya Rudolph, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Jayma Mays joined the cast as new characters. Rudolph plays the central antagonist in the sequel, while Brown and Mays are portraying villains, as well.
On May 17, 2021, Disney announced via Twitter that Gabriella Baldacchino would be starring as Morgan Philip, joined by new cast members Kolton Stewart and Oscar Nunez. Baldacchino replaced Rachel Covey, who played Morgan in the first film.
Filming Principal photography was previously expected to start on May 3, 2021, in Los Angeles. The film would be partly filmed in Enniskerry, where a set was being constructed as of May 1, 2021, while other expected locations included Wicklow and Dublin. Several scenes were filmed in Powerscourt House, where the ballroom served as Malvina Monroe's residence.