Disenchanted’s Maya Rudolph Explains Why Playing a Disney Villain is So Fun

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Maya Rudolph explains why it's so much fun playing a villain for Disney's upcoming Disenchanted, the long-awaited sequel to 2007's Enchanted. The first film acted as the perfect send-up of a classic Disney fairytale, wherein a princess-to-be named Giselle (Amy Adams) falls down a magical portal and ends up in modern day New York City. Giselle's idealistic views put her at odds with the people of the real world, though she still manages to find her happily ever after. Enchanted was a critical and financial success upon release, and there have been rumblings of a sequel for years.

Disenchanted was first discussed back in 2010, but it's only been in recent months that it has finally started moving forward. Disney confirmed last December that Disenchanted will be a Disney+ exclusive, and that Adams will reprise her role as Giselle. Other returning players include Patrick Dempsey, Idina Menzel, and James Marsden. Plot details are still being kept under wraps. Disenchanted has yet to receive a release date, though Dempsey said in January they were looking to film in the spring.

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Rudolph is among the new cast members joining Disenchanted, and her initial casting suggested she will be playing the villain. Now Rudolph has confirmed this in a new interview with Variety, where she discusses why she's so thrilled to be the bad guy. She couldn't reveal any specifics about her character, but she had this to say about being Disenchanted's villain:

That’s the thing! They always have the most fun. I like the women. There are so many good ones. When you’re a kid you’re like, “ugh why is the evil stepmother so awful? Why do they have to be so bad? The Queen is such a jerk, what’s wrong with her?” But now that I see all the nuances and the fun ways to play things, it’s just high drama. It’s the most fun. I don’t know if you’ve watched “Dynasty” lately, but if you’ve watched any scene, it’s so good. So arch, dramatic and campy all at once.

Rudolph was cast alongside Jayma Mays and Yvette Nicole Brown, who will also reportedly be playing villains. It sounds like Disenchanted will assemble a proper dark trio, and it will be thrilling to see them take the stage. Enchanted only had one main villain with Susan Sarandon's Queen Narissa, so the sequel is already raising the stakes by adding more bad guys. Rudolph's excitement about really digging into her character's villainy bodes well for the entire project; Rudolph excels at playing larger than life characters, and it'll be great fun to see her tackle a Disney villain.

Despite the increase in antagonists, though, Disenchanted will still hold much of the magic of the first film. Director Adam Shankman said in 2018 that there will be more songs in Enchanted 2, so that classic Disney touch will remain. As for that title, it sounds like Giselle might find herself in a more cynical state when the film picks up. However, with three villainous ladies on the way, she might need to perk up quickly. Hopefully plot details will emerge soon so we can get an idea of what Disenchanted has in store.