Warner Bros. started production on the fifth movie in the A Cinderella Story franchise and the first holiday-themed movie in the series. A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish is now in front of cameras in Vancouver.
The new film will star Laura Marano, the star of the Disney Channel’s Austin & Ally, as Katherine “Kat” Decker, who dreams of becoming a famous singer-songwriter. However, her cruel stepfamily put her in a demoralizing job as a singing elf for billionaire Terrence Wintergarden’s Santa Land.
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Kat later falls in love with Dominic “Nick” Wintergarden, who is playing the Santa Claus at the park. Kat thought her life was looking up, and was even invited to the Wintergarden Christmas Gala. Unfortunately, her stepsisters try to do everything to stop her from attending in their own quest to be invited. With the help of her dog, a best friend and some magic, Kat will hopefully get to the gala and learn the true meaning of Christmas.
The rest of the cast includes Gregg Sulkin (Marvel’s Runaways, Faking It, Wizards of Waverly Place) as Dominic and Johannah Newmarch (Pretty Little Dead Girl, Garage Sale Mystery) as Kat’s stepmother, Deirdra Decker.
Isabella Gomez (One Day At A Time) plays Kat’s best friend, Isla. The stepsisters Joy and Grace are played by Lillian Doucet-Roche (The Miracle Season) and Chanelle Poeloso (Deadly Class). Riverdale actor Barclay Hope plays Terrence Wintergarden.
Michelle Johnston, who worked on Nickelodeon’s Blurt, wrote and directed Christmas Wish. Johnston was a producer on the previous Cinderella Story film. Longtime Cinderella Story producer Dylan Sellers (St. Vincent, Agent Cody Banks) is back as producer, while Trygge Toven and Toko Nagata are the music supervisors.
The film is a Fort Street Pictures Inc. production with Blue Ribbon Content for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
The A Cinderella Story franchise kicked off in 2004 with the Hilary Duff romantic comedy. Although the film was not a hit with critics, it still made over $70 million at the international box office. Warner Bros. produced three more direct-to-video movies, 2008’s Another Cinderella Story with Selina Gomez, the Lucy Hale-starring A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song in 2011 and A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits with Sofia Carson in 2016.
“For 15 years, the A Cinderella Story franchise has enchanted audiences with its emotional storylines, engaging music, and talented young actresses in the key lead role,” Mary Ellen Thomas, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing, said in a statement. “We know that fans of A Cinderella Story will love this heart-warming holiday tale filled with music and magic.”
A release date for A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish has not been announced.
Photo credit: Michael Tran/FilmMagic/Getty Images