Brandy is set to reprise her role from 1997’s live-action Cinderella for a new Disney+ film in the Descendants series, per Variety.
The singer-songwriter and actress, who played the titular character in the 1997 Disney TV movie, will play Cinderella in The Pocketwatch, which will take place in the same universe of The Descendants franchise. In the 1997 musical film, Brandy starred opposite Whitney Houston, who played the Fairy Godmother. Brandy was the first Black Cinderella.
Brandy isn’t the only musician to be cast in The Pocketwatch, as Rita Ora will also make an appearance as the Queen of Hearts, as Deadline reported. The pair join a cast that includes China Anne McClain, Kylie Cantrall, Dara Reneé, Malia Baker, Ruby Rose Turner, Morgan Dudley, and Joshua Colley. The Fairy Godmother will be portrayed by Melanie Paxson in the film, who previously played the character in the other Descendants entries.
Directed by Jennifer Phang from a script written by Dan Frey and Russell Sommer, The Pocketwatch is expected to enter production soon. As the synopsis for the movie revealed, the plot will follow characters Red and Chloe as they travel back in time via a magical pocket watch.
Brandy recently made her return to musical dramas with the ABC series Queens, although her credits have been quieter on the film side of things. While she had a series of breakout roles in the ‘90s, specifically with Cinderella and the slasher sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, her credits have been sparse in recent years. This year she did appear in the Christmas film, Best. Christmas. Ever., though.