Few fairytales have been given as many up-to-date spins as Cinderella. The tale of the young woman who overcomes nasty relatives and a shoe problem to find true love has been told in a series of modern stories including "A Cinderella Story" starring Hilary Duff and "A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song" with Lucy Hale.
The latest offering, "A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish," is being released on Blu-ray and DVD Oct. 29.
While the story keeps many of elements of the Cinderella tale, this production stands out because it is the first to be set during Christmas. The contemporary musical follows Katherine "Kat" Decker (Laura Marano), whose dream of becoming a famous singer-songwriter is being stifled by her cruel stepfamily. It doesn't help that she has a demoralizing job working as a singing department store elf. It's up to the dashing Nick (Gregg Sulkin) to save the day.
Marano has a theory as to why a fairy tale that is hundreds of years old keeps getting told in different incarnations.
"At the end of the day, it is about how kindness prevails and I think that resonates with a lot of people especially in the kind of world we are living in now where we kind of forget about that," Marano says. "Cinderella is surrounded, unfortunately, by a family that doesn't really treat her kindly. She still choses kindness through it all and ends up succeeding."
Sulkin likes the story because it looks at someone who remains true to who they are and never gives into what others are trying to make them become. He sees that as a very positive message for everyone, especially young girls.
Getting cast in the holiday Cinderella film was a great fit for Marano. Along with a long list of acting roles that include "Austin & Ally" and "The Perfect Date," she is an established singer/songwriter. She has released the EP "ME" and new songs "Let Me Cry," "F.E.O.U." and "Not Like Me" on her independent label, Flip Phone Records.
"It was like dream upon dream upon dream," Marano says of the casting. "Getting to play Cinderella is so many people's dream, especially for me. I love the fairy tale princesses. I love fairy tales. I grew up with the 'Cinderella' series, so I was so excited when I was approached about the role.
"Add to that the fact that it is a Christmas movie. I love Christmas and holiday movies so much. They are my favorite part of the season. And, it's a musical with original holiday music."
Sulkin applauds his co-star as he points out that casting the female lead in "A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish" was a difficult task. Along with having to act, there are all sorts of musical moments. That process is complicated even more because scenes are not shot in order and the actors could go from dancing one moment to a very dramatic acting sequence.
The stars agree that adding singing and dancing to the work already needed to make a movie elevates the challenges. That was particularly the case with Sulkin because unlike Marano, he didn't bring an extensive musical background to the project. But for Marano, getting to sing and dance while in character was like getting an early Christmas gift.
Marano and Sulkin had met years before they were cast in "A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish" at a photo shoot for the cover of 17 Mexico. The acting chemistry they immediately felt was partly because they both shared a background of working for projects on the Disney Channel. The days Marano spent on "Austin & Ally" were very important to her both on and off the set.
"There was a lot of dancing, singing and acting at the same time (on "Austin & Ally"). That show was a dream job for me because the cast was amazing. The energy was amazing. Disney was amazing. I literally got to sing and dance and act, plus write a song for the show. That was great training for doing these kinds of roles."
Because Cinderella's name is in the title of these modern tales, the handsome suitor often gets overlooked. Sulkin's task was to make Nick likable enough that the audience would believe Kat would fall for him, but to also make the audience fall in love with him. He credits director Michelle Johnston and his co-star for make that task easier.
"It was just a fun experience for me. I feel like as an actor, all you can do is try to be as truthful as possible and brings what's on the page to life in the most natural and humble way possible," Sulkin says. "But, at the end of the day it is still Cinderella's story."
Sulkin's approach to acting comes from years of the London native working in TV and film. Along with the Hulu Marvel series, "Runaways," he has starred in "Faking It," "Wizards of Waverly Place," "Pretty Little Liars," "Melissa & Joey" and "Young & Hungry."
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