That’s right folks! Disney has finally announced the lead actress in their latest live-action film Cinderella. Lily James, the actress from Downton Abbey and Wrath of the Titans is going to be our beloved princess, Cinderella.
The film will be directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh and will star Cate Blanchett as the evil stepmother.
In recent months, Emma Watson and Saoirse Ronan were also rumored to be up for the iconic role, but it looks like Lily James has won out.
Richard Madden, who plays Robb Stark on Game of Thrones, is rumored to be up for the role of Prince Charming.
[UPDATE 5/8/2013 4:29 pm EST] It has been announced that Richard Madden will in fact, be playing Prince Charming.
“Additional announcements regarding Cinderella are expected in the coming weeks,” said Disney in a brief statement.
So it looks like we will find out who will be the prince soon enough.
James starred as the wild-child, Lady Rose on Downton Abbey, and was able to handle the free-spirited character very well. Hopefully, she will be able to tone it back to perform Cinderella just as well. Her character has recently been bumped to being a regular cast member for season 4, so it will be likely that she will start filming Cinderella almost immediately after wrapping Downton Abbey, as Disney hopes to finish filming their movie this year.
This is the latest in Disney live-action adaptations, as they have been hugely successful for the company. This includes Oz: The Great and Powerful, Alice in Wonderland, and Maleficent starring Angelina Jolie, which is set to be released in March 2014.
How do you think Lily James will be as Cinderella, as this is quite a departure from her previous roles? She certainly has the look for her!
