Brandy Norwood is having fairly a yr, which incorporates returning as Cinderella greater than twenty years after first enjoying the function for Disney.
Norwood starred because the storybook heroine for ABC’s 1997 tv film Cinderella, reverse Paolo Montalban as Prince Charming. The pair is again to reprise their characters in Descendants: The Rise of the Pink, which is presently streaming on Disney+ and is ready to debut on the Disney Channel on Aug. 9.
“We’re so honored, so blessed, so excited,” Norwood tells The Hollywood Reporter about reuniting with Montalban. “That is such a magical expertise to have the ability to work with Paolo once more, to waltz with him, to sing with him — all of it.”
The brand new movie is the fourth installment within the Disney Channel-produced Descendants franchise that first launched in 2015. Descendants: The Rise of Pink facilities on Pink (Kylie Cantrall), the daughter of the Queen of Hearts (Rita Ora), and Chloe, daughter of Cinderella (Norwood), placing their variations apart to save lots of their world with the assistance of time journey.
Jason Alexander, Paolo Montalban, Whitney Houston, Brandy, Bernadette Peters, Natalie Deselle and Veanne Cox in ABC’s Cinderella (1997).
Courtesy Everett Assortment
Norwood tells THR that the “chemistry was simply automated” between herself and Montalban. He concurs, revealing that his favourite second whereas making the brand new mission was seeing Norwood’s preliminary introduction in it: “It was raining, so we had been in our palace dwelling, and he or she emerges from the mist. Simply superb.”
Baker acquired to expertise their particular bond firsthand whereas enjoying the couple’s daughter. “The connection all these years later has really been loopy,” Baker says of Norwood and Montalban. “It’s precisely what you hope for and also you image. Having the ability to be a small a part of that’s simply such a surreal actuality to dwell by. It’s been magical.”
The 1997 model of Cinderella — with a forged that additionally included Whitney Houston, Whoopi Goldberg and Bernadette Peters — continues to be fondly remembered and has earned reward for that includes folks of colour in quite a lot of lead roles. This isn’t misplaced on the performers themselves, with Montalban lauding the Descendants films for persevering with this legacy.
Brandy Norwood, Malia Baker and Paolo Montalban in Descendants: The Rise of Pink.
Courtesy Everett Assortment
“Not solely is there an abundance of illustration within the [Descendants] characters, there’s additionally illustration of various kinds of households,” Montalban says. “It feels regular on this world as a result of it must be regular, as a result of it’s regular in our world as properly. That lets folks really feel like they belong and really feel like they’re seen.”
This movie is only one in a string of current accomplishments for Norwood. The star performs the lead within the A24 psychological horror film The Front Room that hits theaters in September, whereas Ariana Grande’s reimagining of “The Boy Is Mine,” Norwood’s 1998 chart-topping duet with Monica, has been getting radio play, and Monica and Norwood have cameos within the music video.
“A resurgence!” Norwood exclaims when requested about this busy stretch. “I’m nonetheless impressed. I really like what I do. I’m simply excited for the whole lot to hit the scene and see what folks assume, and to see if folks can nonetheless be impressed by what I do.”
As for the tease on the finish of Descendants: The Rise of Pink that seems to vow a follow-up movie, Norwood hints that she’s been concerned in talks to return once more as Cinderella. “I’ve heard a number of issues,” she quips. “I don’t know that I can verify these issues, however I’ve heard little talks right here and there. That may be nice.”
