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Based on the Newberry Award-winning children's book by Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted is the story of a fantasy world where every child is given a magical gift when they are born. The film's heroine is given the "blessing" of obedience, meaning that she is unable to refuse any demand made of her. In true fairy tale form, Ella goes on a quest to rid herself of this unfortunate curse. The film stars Anne Hathaway as Ella, and it's a safe bet that Miramax is trying to channel the success of Hathaway's The Princess Diaries here, particularly since both films could be described as "Cinderella-esque."

The film marks the beginning of Miramax's foray into family entertainment. Indeed, the studio hired Ella Enchanted's producer, Jane Startz, as a consultant on family entertainment projects soon after production began on this film. Although the film's director, Tommy O'Haver, has a somewhat weak pedigree (his biggest film to date is the extremely forgettable Get Over It), the script was written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith - the duo behind Legally Blonde - which would seem like a promising sign. The film also stars up-and-coming British actor Hugh Dancy as Hathaway's love interest, and none other than Westley himself, Cary Elwes, as the evil uncle. The movie's success, though, is tied almost exclusively to Hathaway's appeal to 13-year- old girls. If she is as popular as she was two years ago, the film's auspicious release date should help make this a late-summer hit. (Zach Kolkin/BOP)

Vital statistics for Ella Enchanted Main Cast Anne Hathaway, Hugh Dancy, Cary Elwes Supporting Cast Patrick Bergin, Steve Coogan, Eric Idle, Joanna Lumley Director Tommy O'Haver Screenwriter Karen McCullah Lutz, Kirsten Smith Distributor Miramax Trailer Click Here for Trailer Official Site http://www.miramax.com/ella_enchanted/ Rating PG-13 Running Time 95 minutes Screen Count 1,931 Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture

Comparison films for Ella Enchanted
Title	Date	Opening	Adjusted Opening	Screens	PSA	Adj PSA	Total BO	Adjusted Total	Mult
Princess Diaries, The	8/3/01	22.86	24.39	2537	9011.00	9250.2	108.24	115.52	4.73
Walk To Remember, A	1/25/02	12.18	12.66	2411	5051.00	5051.0	41.23	42.86	3.39
What a Girl Wants	4/4/03	11.43	11.43	2964	3858.00	3858.0	35.99	35.99	3.15