In Hollywood, what’s old is new again, it seems, with everything from “Sex and the City” to “Dexter” to “The Wonder Years” making much-heralded returns to the small screen. Even fairy tales aren’t immune from the reboot treatment as evidenced by Amazon Studios’ recent release of a live-action “Cinderella” adaptation. The film is the latest in a long line of iterations of the classic yarn about a kindhearted girl forced into servitude by her evil stepfamily who eventually catches the eye of a local prince. “Once” upon a time? Not so much! But the streamer manages to put its own stamp on the age-old story.
This time around, our heroine’s name is Ella (Camila Cabello, in her feature film debut), though her stepsisters call her “Cinderella” because, as narrator/Fab G (Billy Porter) points out, “Her skin was often besmirched by cinders.” Headstrong and determined, she has no interest in marrying a prince or attending a ball, but instead dreams of becoming a dress designer with her own store in the village. Fate, of course, intervenes, intertwining her path with that of Prince Robert (Nicholas Galitzine) and a romance ensues.
A surprisingly fresh and fun take on the tale, the film is interspersed throughout with an enjoyable array of pop songs. It is to the strains of Madonna’s “Material Girl” that Idina Menzel’s evil stepmother character, Vivian, humorously teaches her daughters the importance of marrying up. The vibrant soundtrack is to be expected considering “Cinderella” was written and directed by Kay Cannon, who penned all three “Pitch Perfect” movies.
Though the storyline has been somewhat modernized, the backdrop remains purely medieval. Set in a charming kingdom with rolling green hillsides, meandering roadways and quaint cottages, the scenery looks like something, well, out of a fairy tale. And at the center of it all is the massive turreted castle where Prince Robert lives with his parents, King Rowan (Pierce Brosnan) and Queen Beatrice (Minnie Driver), and younger sister, Princess Gwen (Tallulah Greive).
Shot entirely in the U.K., the Royal Family’s elegant homestead is an amalgamation of several different spots, the most prominent of which is Waddesdon Manor, a sprawling estate located about 60 miles northwest of London in Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire.
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Image Credit: Waddesdon Manor The extravagant abode was originally built for London-based banker/politician Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild on a vacant plot of land he acquired in 1874. Designed by Gabriel-Hippolyte Destailleur in the French Renaissance style, the palatial residence was inspired by various châteaus in France, including Château de Maintenon and Château de Chambord. Construction on the property began in 1877 and was not completed until 1883.
Technologically advanced for its day, at its inception the Manor boasted such modern creature comforts as hot and cold running water, central heating and a bell system for beckoning the large staff. Electricity was added in 1889 and an elevator the following year.
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Image Credit: Waddesdon Manor Opulent through and through, each of the interior spaces is seemingly more luxurious than the last. With a library, multiple drawing rooms, a conservatory, two dining rooms and a bachelors’ wing that originally featured a smoking room and ten bedrooms to house “single male guests,” the inside of the Manor is spacious to say the least and outfitted with such lavish elements as gold leaf detailing, marble fixtures, ornately carved paneling and a smattering of crystal chandeliers.
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Image Credit: Waddesdon Manor The splendor only continues outside the Manor’s walls, with majestic gardens, lush foliage, rolling lawns, sparkling fountains and a massive cast-iron aviary all artfully laid into place by landscape architect Elie Lainé.
Grand as it is, though, incredibly the estate only served as a weekend residence for Rothschild, a place for him to retreat from his main home in London, exhibit his vast art collection and entertain his many high-society friends. The days-long soirees he threw on the premises, known as “Saturday to Monday parties,” typically fêted up to 20 guests. Just a few of the luminaries he hosted include Queen Victoria and future King Edward VII, as well as several members of The Souls social group.
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Image Credit: Waddesdon Manor Upon the Baron’s passing in 1898, Waddesdon Manor was bequeathed to his sister, Alice, who set about preserving the estate for future generations to enjoy. When she, in turn, passed away in 1922, she left the property to her nephew James A. de Rothschild, who only furthered its safeguarding. As such, upon his death in 1957, he willed the mansion and its then 2,700 acres to the National Trust, along with a large endowment. Two years later, it was opened to the public. Still currently managed by the Rothschild family via the Rothschild Foundation, it has gone on to become one of the National Trust’s most popular attractions.
Today, the site, which now measures an incredible 6,000 acres, serves as a museum, public garden, zoo, popular wedding facility, winery and filming location.
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Image Credit: DeFacto/Wikipedia In “Cinderella,” Waddesdon Manor is featured extensively in all exterior shots of Prince Robert’s castle. Aside from adding a couple of regal flags to the portico balcony, where the Royal Family makes appearances throughout the movie, little of the estate was altered for the shoot. As noted on the Manor’s website, “The twisted turrets, golden brick work and countryside setting meant no Fairy Godmother transformation was needed to turn our National Trust property into the famous palace.”
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Image Credit: Waddesdon Manor Waddesdon’s extensive grounds are also featured in “Cinderella.” It is inside the gorgeous aviary that Queen Beatrice finally – and quite epically – gives King Rowan a piece of her mind.
Of the Manor’s royal cameo, facility filming consultant Kim Hallett commented, “Never before has Waddesdon played such a central role in a production of this scale, nor had the chance to shine as an instantly recognizable building in its own right. It’s been wonderful to see such a unique place bring its own magic and charm to this classic tale, and as Waddesdon is open to the public we look forward to welcoming visitors to come and see ‘Cinderella’s palace’ for themselves.”
Those wishing to walk in “Cinderella’s” shoes by frequenting Waddesdon Manor can do so from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Reservations are highly recommended. And there’s good news for those who aren’t yet traveling due to these uncertain times. Waddesdon Manor can be visited from the safety of your own own home via their extensive virtual tours.
Don’t go looking for the luxe interiors featured in the movie anywhere on the premises, though. The inside of Prince Robert’s castle was actually a mash-up of several different places including Claydon House, Blenheim Palace and The Blackpool Tower.
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Image Credit: Miramax Interestingly, Minnie Driver is no stranger to Waddesdon Manor. She also shot scenes in the estate’s gardens for her 1999 film “An Ideal Husband,” which is said to take place during The London Season of 1895, when “people are either hunting for husbands . . . or hiding from them.”
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Image Credit: MGM/Columbia Pictures James Bond (Sean Connery) proves a “worthy adversary” to Maximilian Largo (Klaus Maria Brandauer) while playing an intense 3D game called Domination in the Manor’s dining room in the 1983 spy thriller “Never Say Never Again.”
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Image Credit: Miramax Queen Elizabeth (Helen Mirren) and Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) walk the grounds of Waddesdon Manor, which poses as Buckingham Palace, at the end of the 2006 drama “The Queen.”
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Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures The site masks as the supposed Paris-area Hotel Du Triomphe in the 2011 mystery film “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.”
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Image Credit: Masterpiece Theatre During the second season of “Downton Abbey,” the residence pops up as the exterior of Haxby Park, which Sir Richard Carlisle (Iain Glen) buys. (Interiors, though, were filmed at Halton House.)
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Image Credit: Netflix And the property’s conservatory (pictured above with a CGI ocean backdrop) and breakfast room play the supposed Monte Carlo hotel suites where Mrs. de Winter (Lily James) and Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer) stay at the beginning of Netflix’s 2020 remake of “Rebecca.”