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Over a decade has gone into developing a sequel to Disney’s meta-musical hit Enchanted. That hasn’t stopped the past couple of months from being fruitful, as Disenchanted seems to be firing up the engines, and casting talented actors like The Mitchells vs. The Machines co-star Maya Rudolph. Finally breaking her silence on her villainous role in the Disney+ original film, Rudolph has revealed why took the role, and how the various delays may have worked out in the long run.
Thinking about Maya Rudolph as a villain in a musical fairy tale satire feels like a slam dunk at this point. After a storied career on SNL, and through movies like Bridesmaids, Big Hero 6, and Hubie Haloween, Rudolph’s skill set speaks for itself. That versatility goes a long way to landing a gig like Disenchanted, but as she explained to Variety, it also helped her accept such an opportunity:
If this had been 15 years ago and someone asked if I wanted to be the bad guy, I might’ve been like, ‘Geez, I don’t know.’ But I’ve come to learn in my many years that the most fun thing to get to do is when you get to play The Most.
“The Most” is surely Maya Rudolph’s wheelhouse, as she’s always been a bombastic performer that isn’t afraid to land the laugh. With the role of Disenchanted’s villainous Malvina Monroe in her grasp, it sounds like the trouble in this next chapter in the saga of Amy Adams’ Giselle is going to be quite formidable. It also sounds like Rudolph’s character is going to be a full throttle laugh riot at the same time, which is a very exciting prospect for a long awaited sequel.
As Enchanted became a pretty sizable hit for Disney upon its release in 2007, the potential was always there for a return to Giselle’s home kingdom of Andalasia. But the process of getting Disenchanted off the ground was not a smooth one, with one delay after the other cropping up. The bright side about all of that waiting is, that wait is probably part of what made Maya Rudolph’s casting possible, as it sounds like, in her own words below, this part was meant for her:
It’s nice to be in a place work-wise where I feel like a lot of what I’ve done can speak for itself so I don’t have to explain who I am or what I do.
Sequels are never a guarantee, no matter how well a movie like Enchanted does. But Disenchanted is proof that hope, perseverance, and some killer casting can get the job done. As the film is getting ready to get underway in Ireland, we’re all one step closer to the continuing adventures of Giselle and Phillip, as well as the introduction of Maya Rudolph’s brand new foe. Unfortunately, there’s no release date set for Disenchanted, but Disney+ will be the place to see it. Which means, now’s a good time to check out the subscription bundle they’re offering, which includes Hulu and ESPN+.
