Kenneth Branagh's directorial career began with a lauded adaptation of “Henry V” in 1989. Twenty-five years later, he gives us another high-profile classic brimming with preeminent thespians in “Cinderella.”
The new live-action retelling of the tale serves as a starring vehicle for “Downton Abbey” vet Lily James, but it also features grand performances by Cate Blanchett as her wicked stepmother and Helena Bonham Carter as her fairy godmother.
We interviewed Branagh and asked him about the appeal of classic fairytales, the female Shakespeare roles he'd like to play, and what it was like giving Helena Bonham Carter such an un-gothic role.