Lily James is soon going to be a name everyone will know thanks to Disney. The actress, who made appearances in Downton Abbey and Wrath of the Titans, will get to wear the glass slipper in Disney’s live-action Cinderella.
The studio made the announcement on Twitter just moments ago.
The film will be directed by Thor’s Kenneth Branagh and it has already had an interesting history. Cate Blanchett joined in November to play the evil stepmother, but in January, Never Let Me Go director Mark Romanek left. Harry Potter’s Emma Watson was reportedly close to joining at one point, but she eventually turned it down.
Simon Kinberg (X-Men) is producing and the screenplay was written by Chris Weitz and Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada).
James played Lady Rose MacClare in Downton Abbey and played Poppy in Secret Diary of a Call Girl. She also appeared in the film Fast Girls.
Cinderella is Disney’s latest live-action fairy tale project. After the success of Alice in Wonderland, the studio began work on the Sleeping Beauty movie Maleficent with Angelina Jolie. There are rumors that a Beauty and the Beast live action film is in the works as well.