Brandy Norwood on Returning as Cinderella for Descendants: Rise of Red

Brandy Norwood is having fairly a 12 months, which incorporates returning as Cinderella greater than 20 years after first enjoying the position 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 Crimson, which is at the moment 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 Crimson facilities on Crimson (Kylie Cantrall), the daughter of the Queen of Hearts (Rita Ora), and Chloe, daughter of Cinderella (Norwood), placing their variations apart to avoid wasting their world with the assistance of time journey.

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 have been in our palace house, and she or he emerges from the mist. Simply wonderful.”

Baker bought 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 reside 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 individuals of shade in plenty of lead roles. This isn’t misplaced on the performers themselves, with Montalban lauding the Descendants films for persevering with this legacy.

“Not solely is there an abundance of illustration within the [Descendants] characters, there’s additionally illustration of several types of households,” Montalban says. “It feels regular on this world as a result of it needs to be regular, as a result of it’s regular in our world as effectively. That lets individuals 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 Entrance 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 every part to hit the scene and see what individuals assume, and to see if individuals can nonetheless be impressed by what I do.”

As for the tease on the finish of Descendants: The Rise of Crimson 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 couple of issues,” she quips. “I don’t know that I can affirm these issues, however I’ve heard little talks right here and there. That might be nice.”