Burbank, CA. – March 25, 2019 – For the fifth installment of its popular “A Cinderella Story” film franchise, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Blue Ribbon Content are breaking out the mistletoe and holly as principal photography commences on “A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish,” now filming in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Brimming with overtones of the timeless Cinderella fairy tale, this contemporary musical finds Katherine “Kat” Decker dreaming of becoming a famous singer-songwriter. Her reality, however, is suffocated by her conniving and cruel stepfamily and a demoralizing job working as a singing elf at billionaire Terrence Wintergarden’s Santa Land. When she starts to fall for Nick, the handsome new Santa at the tree lot, things begin to look up. Unfortunately, when her stepmother and stepsisters realize Kat has been invited to the prestigious Wintergarden Christmas Gala, they’ll stop at nothing to procure their own invitation and keep Kat from attending. With the help of an attentive dog, a true friend, and a little bit of magic, Kat may just make it to the gala, discover the true identity of Nick, and learn the real meaning of Christmas.
Laura Marano, star of the Disney Channel hit series “Austin & Ally,” leads the cast of “A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish” as the latter-day fairy tale heroine, Kat Decker. Marano will soon be featured in multiple productions, most notably as the female lead in the Netflix original movie, “The Perfect Date”; the family feature film, “A Genie’s Tale”; and alongside her sister Vanessa Marano (“Switched at Birth”) as series regulars in the CBS hybrid comedy, “The Us Project.” She has previously been seen in feature films, including playing opposite Robert DeNiro and Uma Thurman in “The War with Grandpa,” as well as roles in “Lady Bird” and “The Jacket”; television series (“Without a Trace,” “The Sarah Silverman Program,” “True Jackson,” “VP,” “Dexter,” “Back to You”); and numerous voiceover roles for animation (“Ice Age: The Meltdown,” “Pickle and Peanut,” “Fish Hooks,” “Ni Hao, Kai-Lan”). Marano also thrives as a double threat, continuing a flourishing singing career that boasts multiple popular singles and music videos, including “Boombox,” “Me,” and “Let Me Cry.”
The cast also features Gregg Sulkin (“Marvel’s Runaways,” “Faking It,” “Wizards of Waverly Place”) as Dominic Wintergarden and three-time Leo® Award winner and Hallmark Channel favorite Johannah Newmarch (“When Calls the Heart,” “Garage Sale Mystery” franchise, “Pretty Little Dead Girl”) as the cruel stepmother Deirdra Decker. Kat’s best friend Isla is played by Isabella Gomez (“One Day at a Time”), and stepsisters Joy and Grace are played, respectively, by Lillian Doucet-Roche (“The Miracle Season”) and Chanelle Peloso (Syfy’s “Deadly Class”). Barclay Hope (“Riverdale”) plays Terrence Wintergarden.
“A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish” is written and directed by Michelle Johnston (Nickelodeon’s “Blurt”), who directed the last installment of “A Cinderella Story” after choreographing the first four and serving as a producer on the past three. Dylan Sellers (“The Giver,” “St. Vincent,” both “Agent Cody Banks” films), keeper of the “A Cinderella Story” franchise, returns for his fifth turn as producer. Trygge Toven (“Captain Marvel,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Trolls”) and Toko Nagata (“Shaft,” “The Predator,” “Pitch Perfect 3”) are the music supervisors. The film is produced by Front Street Pictures Inc. in association with Blue Ribbon Content for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
The all-new holiday movie follows four previous entries in the film franchise: “A Cinderella Story,” the 2004 hit starring Hilary Duff in the lead role and a supporting cast that included Chad Michael Murray and Academy® Award winner Regina King; “Another Cinderella Story” (2008), spotlighting Disney Channel and pop singing sensation Selena Gomez and four-time Emmy® Award winner Jane Lynch; “A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song” (2011), featuring “Pretty Little Liars” star and country music singer-songwriter Lucy Hale; and “A Cinderella Story: If The Shoe Fits” (2016) with the lead role handled by actress/singer Sofia Carson of Disney’s “Descendants” franchise and Freeform’s upcoming “Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists.”
“For 15 years, the ‘A Cinderella Story’ franchise has enchanted audiences with its emotional storylines, engaging music, and talented young actresses in the key lead role,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing. “We know that fans of ‘A Cinderella Story’ will love this heart-warming holiday tale filled with music and magic.”
