In "Downton Abbey," Lily James plays Lady Rose MacClarey, a young cousin of the family who is a reckless flapper that takes up with a married man. Surprisingly, she's the first of the "Downton" women to land a leading role in a film, signing on to star as Disney's Cinerella. I'm a bit surprised I haven't heard of many deals for Lady Mary or Lady Edith. Perhaps their contracts are too restrictive: now that (spoiler alert) she's off the show, Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) appears to have a lot of roles on IMDBPro, including one in big-budget Winter's Tale. Heartthrob Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) reportedly exited to pursue other opportunities, and he's since filmed three movies (The Fifth Estate, A Walk Among the Tombstones, Summer in February). As a minor character, James might have had the best of both worlds: the exposure of "Downton Abbey" along with the scheduling freedom of a minor player.
Being a Disney princess can be an excellent launching point for a star. Amy Adams received wider exposure in 2007's Enchanted, and Anne Hathaway won over America's preteens in The Princess Diaries. Fox-produced Cinderella story Ever After strengthened Drew Barrymore's star image among a younger audience. Mia Wasikowska has focused on successful indie projects after dipping her toe into blockbuster waters with the leading role in Disney's Alice in Wonderland.
James will join an impressive lineup. Five-time Oscar nominee Kenneth Branagh will direct from a script by Devil Wears Prada's Aline Brosh McKenna. Cate Blanchett is also committed to the role of the evil stepmother. The project has been in development for about two years, but now that the biggest casting decision has been made, production should finally start to ramp up.
No comments:
Post a Comment