After a successful run of animated films, Walt Disney Animation Studios continues the renaissance with its live-action version of the 1924 classic Russian ballerina Sergei Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet”. The film will star two of Disney’s most powerful assets in the form of daughter and megastar, Disney princess and “live-action Disney princess”, Mckenna Grace as Anastasia, and a new actor, in the form of Joe McFadden who takes on the roll of the beloved Prince Nikifor. The movie is set for release on Nov. 20, 2018 and is directed by “Beauty and the Beast’s” Bill Condon. We expect there will be a lot of information released on this project, so we’ve compiled a list of everything we know so far about the upcoming film. Here’s a look at all the information below.
What is the movie called?
The film is currently titled “Anastasia”.
Who is the cast of characters?
Anastasia is the protagonist’s name in the film. She is a young girl who dreams of becoming a ballerina like her mother. Struggling to find her true identity, she leaves her mother behind and heads to Paris where she befriends and falls for Prince Nikifor.
Anastasia’s parents:
-Ekaterina Alexandrovna Romanov (Mckenna Grace) is Anastasia’s mother. She is an artist and left Russia when she was young, moving to France before settling in New York City. She never thought about returning to Russia for the funeral of her husband, Tsar Nicholas II, since he had been executed by the Bolsheviks during their revolution. Her daughter Anastasia lives with her where she agrees to take on a new identity because it will make life easier for her daughter.
-Natalya Gregorievna Romanoff (Dagmara Dominczyk) is Anastasia’s grandmother and also known as Grand Duchess Gregory of Russia, who was originally from Poland but married into royalty when she wed Tsar Nicholas II in 1894. Anastasia loves visiting with Natalya in the summers when they spend time together at various royal estates.
-Vasili Vladimirovich Vladimirov (Peter Ivanov), Ekaterina’s husband, has a good sense of humor but doesn’t understand why Ekaterina left Russia when their son was just born and stayed
When does it take place?
The movie is set for release on Nov. 20, 2018 in the United States.
How does it connect to the original story?
“Anastasia” is set in a 1920s Paris, France and follows the tale of a young woman named Anya who is on a mission to find her family’s lost fortune. In the process, she meets with a con man and gets mistaken for the long-lost Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia.
It was recently announced that Disney has committed to doing an animated film that will continue the story from where “Anastasia” leaves off and will be released in 2020. This means that this movie could be seen as a prequel rather than sequel.
There will also be two more sequels to “Anastasia” which are planned for release in 2021 and 2022.
What will it be rated?
A Disney movie is typically classified as a PG and has a runtime of around 100 minutes.
Anastasia has been rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) in its February 2019 rating.
-The film will be rated PG, which means no children under the age of 17 can see it without an adult.
-Disney movies are usually classified as PG, but Anastasia will be rated PG during its theatrical run because the movie was originally intended for a younger audience.
-It’s not known what kinds of scenes or language may be present in the film, but with a runtime of around 100 minutes, it seems unlikely that there would be much explicit material present in the movie.
How much is Disney budgeted for this project?
Disney has a budgeted budget of $150 million for the live-action “Anastasia”.
What kind of music will be featured?
There will be new songs written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, the same people who wrote the songs for “Cinderella”, “Beauty and the Beast”, and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”. These songs include “Once Upon a December” and “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas”.
What’s the plot of the movie?
The film begins with the story of two peasant girls who are best friends and share a passion for ballet. One day, the other girl’s family is forced to sell her prized possession—a portrait of Anastasia Romanov—to pay off their debt. The girl later receives word from Anastasia herself that she will appear one year later at a ballet performance in St. Petersburg. The two sisters decide to follow the portrait to find their long-lost friend.
When they arrive in St. Petersburg, they meet up with Dimitri, an old friend of Anastasia’s and he tells them that they need to find her before year’s end or else it will be too late. They eventually run across the evil Constantine who sends after them but they make it out alive while finding their friend in time as she dances as part of the production of “The Nutcracker”.
Why is it called “Anastasia”?
The title is a nod to the original film, “Anastasia”. This character is the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II and his wife, who was mysteriously killed before her own eyes and then resurrected by Baba Yaga. She is raised as a peasant girl in Russia’s countryside and eventually becomes an orphan with no family or friends. She is also cursed as she touches silver without washing it first and will die at it’s touch.
The story follows Anya, a young woman who believes she can change her fate when she meets a con artist named Constantine. The movie is set in Paris during the Roaring Twenties.
Final Thoughts
This movie is set to be a new take on the classic story of Romeo and Juliet. With Disney’s skillful hand, we’re sure that this film will come out beautifully.
1. The Movie Starts in Paris
The story starts with the young Anastasia living in Paris, France during World War I. She returns to her family’s estate where her father has been taken captive by Cossacks and she meets the handsome Prince Nikifor, who is just as intrigued by her as she is by him. They soon fall for each other but tragedy strikes when she’s left for dead on the battlefield and he finds out about it after Anastasia makes a miraculous recovery from near death. The film takes place over two time periods, one set in Paris, France during World War I and another in Moscow during the Russian Revolution of 1917 following Anastasia’s death at age 18.
2. Joe McFadden Plays Prince Nikifor
After much speculation (and many fan theories) regarding who would be playing Prince Nikifor, Disney announced that Joe McFadden had been cast in the role of Prince Nikifor!
3. Mckenna Grace Plays Anastasia
Mckenna Grace was casted as Anastasia alongside Joe McFadden as Prince Nikifor! From what we understand, they will be playing mother and son! This is pretty impressive casting considering that Mckenna Grace already has acting experience under her belt at only 11 years old!
