If there’s a classic fairy tale, odds are that it’ll be remade and reimagined again and again on the big screen for profit.
Take, for example, Cinderella. The folk tale has been told in different iterations for hundreds of years but was “recently” popularized by Disney with the release of the 1950 animated movie.
Since then, dozens of versions of the Cinderella story have been released, including the notable modern-day adaption A Cinderella Story, which starred Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray.
The modernized fairy tale was such a hit that Hollywood decided to do what it does best: Profit.
Warner Premiere announced a sequel called “Another Cinderella Story,” which starred up-and-coming Disney star Selena Gomez and teen heartthrob Drew Seeley.
However, the initial excitement over the “sequel” quickly turned to criticism.
Selena Gomez stars as Mary Santiago and Drew Seeley portrays Joey Parker in the 2008 American teen musical comedy film “Another Cinderella Story” (Credit: Dylan Sellers Productions / Warner Premiere)
In “Another Cinderella Story,” Selena plays Mary Santiago, who wants to attend a school dance and impress Joey, portrayed by Drew Seely.
So why exactly was everyone so critical of this interpretation? Well, here are a couple of reasons.
The Another Cinderella Story Age Difference
Seemingly the biggest controversy regarding “Another Cinderella Story” was the large age gap between leading co-stars. Selena was only 15 years old at the time of filming, while Drew Seeley was 26.
“It’s a shame there isn’t more thought put into their age,” one film critic said.
Hollywood is pretty infamous for casting older men as romantic leads alongside younger women, but given that Selena wasn’t even old enough to drive a car? Many people felt the age gap crossed a line.
The age difference between 15-year-old Selena Gomez and 26-year-old Drew Seeley in “Another Cinderella Story” was criticized for being inappropriate (Credit: Dylan Sellers Productions / Warner Premiere)
In the original “A Cinderella Story,” a 15-year-old Hillary Duff was accompanied by a 22-year-old Chad Michael Murray. While the seven-year-age difference is still a lot by today’s standards, it wasn’t as controversial as the age gap between Selena and Drew.
Un-Impressive Storyline
Even though the original “A Cinderella Story” used a centuries-old trope as its plot, the writing and acting still felt fresh and modern.
Unfortunately, “Another Cinderella Story” couldn’t quite pull off the same feat.
“A Cinderella Story” had a fairly realistic plot that followed two average high school students as they did normal senior year things while completing college applications.
“Another Cinderella Story” centered around a talented but stage-shy high school dancer and a famous pop star who decided to leave fame behind to finish out high school as a “normal kid.”
Selena Gomez attends the premiere of her straight-to-DVD movie “Another Cinderella Story” on September 14, 2008, at Pacific Theatres at the Grove in Los Angeles (Credit: s_bukley / Shutterstock)
The unrealistic plot just didn’t captivate viewers the same way “A Cinderella Story” did.
Canadian actor Drew Seeley attends the premiere of “Another Cinderella Story” held on September 14, 2008, at Pacific Theatres at the Grove in Los Angeles (Credit: s_bukley / Shutterstock)
The rest of the movie seems tumultuous and slightly overdramatic and lacked the depth and heartfelt tragedy of the first film.
While “Another Cinderella Story” did have plenty of good jokes, mostly from Jane Lynch’s fantastic acting, the sequel fell short of the original’s glory.
The Dance Competition
“Another Cinderella Story” concludes with the highly-anticipated dance competition.
Even though the film focuses on Mary’s desire to grow in her confidence and talents, the arc of the movie focuses on Joey’s dancing and the romance between the two.
For many, it felt like a swing and a miss. Viewers thought the dance competition could have been used to highlight Mary’s character growth. Instead, the dance competition just became a backdrop for the teen romance.
Amelia Randal was used as a stunt double for Selena Gomez during the film’s ending dance competition scene (Credit: Dylan Sellers Productions / Warner Premiere)
Even though Selena trained for four weeks, the film still relied on stunt double Amelia Randal during the final dance competition scene.
Selena did most of her dance stunts throughout the film, but for the final cumulative scene, it wasn’t Selena on camera.
Selena Gomez’s Career
Luckily, Selena was busy making a name for herself in the Disney world, so the fact that “Another Cinderella Story” was a huge flop didn’t affect her career too badly.
The brunette went on to star in “Wizards of Waverly Place” before shedding her innocent image and making a name for herself as a singer.
Selena Gomez wears a white dress and a gold key-shaped necklace at the premiere of “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” held on October 16, 2008, at the Galen Center at the University Of Southern California in Los Angeles (Credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock)
What is Selena Gomez’s Style Like?
In April 2016, Selena was a ray of sunshine at the 2016 WE Day California event held at The Forum in Inglewood.
She joined stars, including Charlize Theron and Demi Lovato, in inspiring younger generations to continue making a difference in their local and global communities.
Selena Gomez wears her hair down at 2016 WE Day California held on April 7, 2016, at The Forum in Inglewood (Credit: WENN)
Before hitting the stage for a performance, the then 23-year-old singer posed up a storm on the blue carpet in a bright yellow patent trench coat from The Row’s Spring 2016 collection.
Selena Gomez wears a sunny yellow The Row coat on the blue carpet (Credit: WENN)
She teamed the eye-catching outerwear with a basic white tee — also by The Row — and a pair of high-waisted jeans with raw hem by Vetements.
Selena Gomez pairs a The Row jacket with Vetements jeans (Credit: WENN)
Selena amped up the laid-back look by accessorizing with a silver knot choker by American jewelry designer Jennifer Fisher and a pair of Manolo Blahnik pumps.
Selena Gomez blows a kiss from the blue carpet of WE Day California (Credit: WENN)
She casually wore her long tresses down around her shoulders and completed her look with dark eyeliner and pink lipstick.
Selena Gomez wears a The Row yellow coat and Vetements jeans (Credit: Apega / Charlie Steffens / WENN)
Selena kicked off the event with a performance of her new single, “Kill Em with Kindness.”
“Today is my fourth time on (the) WE Day stage,” she said during her performance. “I continue to be inspired by the young people who are breaking down barriers and creating real change around the world.”
Selena Gomez’s feet in suede Manolo Blahnik pumps (Credit: WENN)
Selena picked the luggage suede version of the popular Manolo Blahnik “BB” pumps, which feature pointed toes and about 3.5-inch heels.
Selena Gomez’s feet in suede “BB” pumps (Credit: WENN)
You can order these classic pumps on Nordstrom and Farfetch.
Luggage Suede Manolo Blahnik “BB” Pumps, $595