Amy Adams Returns in 'Disenchanted' First Look, Much to Fans' Delight

By Ashley Turner

Thrilling news for fans of Enchanted! Disney has revealed the first look at its upcoming sequel, Disenchanted, which will premiere this Thanksgiving on Disney+. Walt Disney Studios tweeted a still from the film Tuesday featuring star Amy Adams reprising her role as Giselle and costar Maya Rudolph, who is reportedly the villain. Both Rudolph and Adams, 47, are dressed in elegant dresses in the image and appear locked in a staredown.

In May of last year, Rudolph teased that she'd be playing a bad guy in the upcoming film, tweeting, "What's a good fairy tale without a great villain? I'll see you in Andalasia my pretties ... " In addition to Rudolph, Jayma Mays, Yvette Nicole Brown, Kolton Stewart, and Oscar Nunez will also appear as new characters.

Considering the film was first announced in 2010, it has been a long time since anything significant about Disenchanted was reported. However, since its official announcement in December 2020, news has come at a steady trickle. The sequel will release 15 years after the original, with many fans of Enchanted who have grown and changed over the years wanting to see their beloved characters do the same. 

Older and wiser?

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(Photo: Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

An entertaining spin on classic fairytales, Giselle is banished to New York City by her evil stepmother from her magical animated Kingdom of Andalasia. On her journey to get back to her prince, she is taken in by a handsome lawyer named Robert and his daughter and falls in love with him.

Disenchanted follows Giselle, her now-husband Robert, and his teenage daughter Morgan 15 years after events in the first film. When the whole family moves from N.Y.C. to the suburb of Monroeville, "she must face the challenges of a new home and re-discover the true meaning of happily ever after," according to Entertainment Weekly.

15 years is a considerable amount of time, which had come Enchanted fans facing an existential crisis. One Twitter used a comparison shot of Miranda Cosgrove from the original Nickelodeon series iCarly and its 2021 revival.

Another user compared shots of Adams and Patrick Dempsy with the actresses playing the character Morgan Philip from the first and second movies. "I'M CRYING YOU'RE CRYING," they wrote.

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So much darker'

While there isn't much known yet about Disenchanted's plot, it was revealed that Giselle will have to adjust to living in the suburbs. According to Movieweb, there have been further revelations that Giselle, Robert, and Morgan's new suburban life may not be everything they imagined it would be, as "the community is overseen by Malvina Monroe, who has nefarious intentions for the family. When problems arise, Giselle wishes that their lives were the perfect fairytale. The spell backfires, with Giselle rushing to save her family, and her homeland of the Kingdom of Andalasia before the clock strikes midnight."

That certainly sounds ominous, and one user wrote about a detail from the new movie still that supports the idea that there are some troubling times ahead for Giselle and her family in the film. "The first still from #Disenchanted is so great because it has me wondering why Giselle is wearing a dress that looks so different from her usual style in the first film.," they tweeted. "It's so much darker. So intriguing."

However, according to another poster, the film will likely keep much of the light-hearted tone from the first, and the costumes are giving more campy than melancholy. "Enchanted" was always a bit campy, a send-up, tiptoeing the line toward spoof," they wrote. "That's what made it so winning. Very glad to see that they're leaning into that aesthetic."

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'Bear with me'

Of course, since Enchanted was a musical, its sequel will include new music as well! Academy Award-nominated duo Menken and Schwartz returned from the first film to write songs for the sequel.

Dempsey told Variety in April 2021 that he would be tackling a Disney score. "I will be singing for the first time," Dempsey said, revealing that he is dancing in the film also. "I've never ever sung publicly — for a reason. So, bear with me.

Idina Menzel told Us Weekly in August 2021 that she and fellow returning cast member James Marsden will have a duet in Disenchanted, saying that the two had "a blast," and "we get to be really silly and fun." The Broadway star will also have her own solo.

According to fans, more songs are exactly what they've asked for. Though one Twitter user may want to temper expectations for their duet wish. "It's been announced that Disenchanted will be released on Disney plus on Thanksgiving, if Idina and Patrick doesn't get a scene together I will throw a brick at myself!!" they wrote.

Another commenter expressed their excitement over the sequel announcement through Enchanted's well-loved songs. "Studio announcements like these are "how you know" when movies are scheduled to be released," they tweeted. "Adams & Rudolph are standing "so close" to each other. Fans of the original who have been waiting (for)"ever ever" for the sequel will be "happy" with this news."

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'If Disney was fully conscious..'

While Disney+ has been bolstering its lineup for a while with new acclaimed feature films and episode shows, some are still unsure
if Disenchanted should have been relegated to streaming for its release. One poster tweeted, "Why can't I go see Disenchanted in a cinema?!"

Meanwhile, another Twitter user wrote, "If Disney was fully conscious, they would be releasing this film theatrically."

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'I'm already worried'

Despite all of the positive takes on social media, some fans are still cautious about the sequel, and whether the story and music can possibly live up to the original. One user was not encouraged by the released photo from Disney saying, "I know this is one photo but I'm already worried about disenchanted and I hope I'm proven wrong."

A fretful fan expressed apprehension over the film, but ultimately appeared to keep the faith."I'm gonna say it – I'm so nervous this movie isn't going to be what I'm hoping it to be! Absolutely LOVE Enchanted and I hope this one is even 1/2 as good! I have faith"

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'Giving once upon a time enchanted forest'

The memorable costumes in Enchanted were designed by Mona May, who had previously worked on Clueless, The Wedding Singer, and The Haunted Mansion. Joan Bergin, known for working on The Prestige, The Tudors, and Vikings, is the costume designer for the sequel. However, on Twitter, a couple of fans expressed doubt as to whether the small peak at Disenchanted's dresses is up to snuff.

"I hope it's just the promotional Disenchanted still that looks kind of cheap because the outfits look straight of Once Upon a Time and they live in the shadow of one of my favorite movie costumes of all time," one user posted.

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A second user felt that "Disenchanted is very much giving once upon a time enchanted forest," in the preview.

Finally, one commenter had a completely opposite reaction, their post unanimously in favor of whatever Disenchanted has to offer.

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