Why ‘Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella’ Coming To Disney+ Is A Big Deal To Fans

Fans of the 1997 TV adaptation of “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” which pushed traditional boundaries with a diverse cast no longer need to wait to see the film again on a streaming service, with the movie set to premiere on Disney+ beginning on Feb. 12.

The announcement came from the film’s star, Brandy, during an appearance on “The View,” after one of the show’s hosts, and her co-star in the film, Whoopi Goldberg, asked her about it possibly being re-released.

The news was immediately met with praise on social media, with fans who had been clamoring for the film to be released expressing their excitement over the news, both because they loved watching the movie when it came out, and because of the diversity it had throughout the cast.

The film, which was executive produced by the late Whitney Houston, who starred as the Fairy Godmother, was one which has stood the test of time because of its vocally gifted—and very diverse—cast. Not only did Houston handpick Brandy to star as Cinderella, but her stepsisters were diverse as well (portrayed by Veanne Cox and the late Natalie Desselle-Reid), despite their mother being portrayed by Bernadette Peters. In addition, Prince Christopher was portrayed by Filipino actor Paolo Montalbán, while his parents, King Maximillian and Queen Constantina, were portrayed by Goldberg and Victor Garber.

Entertainment Weekly notes that the film ages well despite being from the 90s and telling the classic fairytale story because of the consciously diverse casting, and it also helped pave the way for other productions that have promoted diversity—such as the “Hamilton” musical and Netflix’s own royal story, “Bridgerton.”

“Bridgerton” has also been the subject of praise and applause since its debut for its decision to have a diverse cast with Black actors serving in more regal roles. One role which faced both criticism and praise was that of Queen Charlotte, portrayed by Golda Rosheuvel. Many applauded the move to have a Black actress in the role since history has long believed that the real Queen Charlotte was of African descent.