Although fans are thrilled to hear Brandy coming out with new music — she just released her first album in eight years — they still have a big question: What about Cinderella?
The actress, 41, starred in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella in 1997 alongside an A-list cast, including Whitney Houston, Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg and Bernadette Peters. However, it’s not available on Disney+, which includes over 100 Disney Channel Originals.
There are four different Cinderella movies available on the streaming site: the 1950s animated movie; the 2002 animated sequel, Dreams Come True; the third animated film released in 2007, A Twist in Time; and the 2015 rendition starring Lily James.
So, where is Brandy’s version? Her guess is as good as ours.
“I absolutely don’t have any insight into that! I have no idea why isn’t it on Disney+. It should on there because it’s Whitney Houston alone. You know what I mean? All by itself, just because it’s Whitney Houston,” she told Rolling Stone magazine in an interview published on Friday, July 31. “So, I don’t know. But I mean, Double Platinum, the movie that I did with Diana Ross, just was released on Netflix. That’s hope that maybe Disney can come on up and scoop up Cinderella. That would be awesome, I would love that.”
The film, which was the former Star actress’ first movie role, gained critical acclamation after its release, earning seven Primetime Emmy Award nominations and winning one for Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program. It’s also been honored through the years due to the diversity of the cast.
Although the singer was already a star due to the success of Moesha, the movie changed everything for her — something she credits to the late Houston.
“Whitney called me at home on my house phone in Carson, California. Imagine — anyone could have picked up! Luckily I grabbed it, and I hear Whitney on the other end, ‘Brandy, what do you think about being Cinderella?'” the Grammy Award winner recalled to Shondaland in 2017. “I mentioned that I thought she was going to be Cinderella because it was going around that the movie was going to be made. I’d heard through the grapevine that Whitney was going to be Cinderella, and I thought that was great casting.”
When Houston told Brandy she’d be playing the Fairy Godmother, the “Borderline” singer was in shock.
“I screamed at the top of my lungs and ran all around my house. I left Whitney Houston on hold,” she said. I was thinking, ‘I gotta get my s–t together. This is Whitney! I have to be on point. I have to be good.’ I couldn’t believe it. I was young, and all of my dreams were coming true. I was so thankful, and I couldn’t wait to work with her.”
