Sometimes, living “happily ever after” means embarking on a blood-soaked path of revenge. That’s the case in the horror fairytale Cinderella’s Revenge. Directed by Andy Edwards (Zombie Spring Breakers), the film finds Lauren Staerck (Trust) having a helluva time as Rella until her fairy godmother shows up. That would be Natasha Henstridge (Species), who suggests there’s more to life than just nabbing Prince Charming, especially the shady one featured in Edwards’ gritty comedy horror film.
The story thus far: Cinderella’s (Staerck) wicked stepsisters and stepmother are throwing far too much shade. Somehow, our dear maiden winds up at the ball—nice touch having the “carriage” here come in the form of a Tesla—and her eyes twinkle with the prince and all that. But he’s not the charming gent we all remember him to be. Glass slippers appear. One falls off. You know the drill.
Writer Tom Jolliffe (When Darkness Falls) pumps up Charles Perrault’s source material, originally published in 1697, with camp, making this a devilishly twisted blend of horror and comedy. (It’s a far cry from Disney’s 1950 take, too, for that matter.) Natasha Henstridge, who rose to fame thanks to the cult hit film Species in 1995 and its sequel in 1998, further unpacks the fun in this exclusive MovieWeb interview. Read on.
Cinderella’s Revenge Is Tossing Out Tradition
Sci-fi horror fans know Natasha Henstridge from Species, which also starred Ben Kingsley and Forrest Whitaker. The original film revolved around a group of scientists desperately trying to trap a killer alien seductress (Henstridge’s Eve) before she successfully mates with a human. The film was of its time when erotic thrillers were “the” thing. It also tapped sci-fi artist H.R. Giger, who created the alien in Alien, which made the film even more appealing. Henstridge also starred in the film’s two sequels. (More on this later.)
More recently, the actress starred in the TV series Diggstown. In Cinderella’s Revenge, which also stars Stephanie Lodge, Beatrice Fletcher, Megan Purvis, and Darrell Griggs, she offers a wickedly fun turn as Cinderella’s unconventional Fairy Godmother. When asked about the specific campy take on the character, Henstridge said:
“Well, it was written that way, I mean, like Jessica Rabbit. I was just written—I was just drawn this way, right? So yeah… there is definitely a trend in these kind of films… with different takes on these old classics, right? Because they’re becoming public domain, and so it’s a fun time to explore all that,” Henstridge explained.
“In this case, I was thinking about it earlier… you know, as kids, these fairy tales often have this sort of dark background to them on some level anyway, but then there’s always a moral to the story, and you do the right thing.
What was fun about this film is, screw all that. Like, let’s just do what we want
.”
Making Cinderella Dark
Henstridge went on to point out that director Andy Edwards offered a certain amount of creative freedom, giving the story room to roam into new creative territory. So, rather than “doing the right thing” when bullied, why not push back on the “bully.” Big time. “You know, the vigilante Cinderella, the godmother who’s more of a scary godmother instead of a fairy godmother—that kind of thing,” Henstridge added. “I thought that was a fun twist to the film. I mean… it does get dark, and it does get gory. It’s pretty out there.”
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That it is. In the film, sweet little Cinderella can’t even fathom hurting somebody. The script gives her some wiggle room. Thanks to a mysterious mask, somehow, she’s allowed to go after those sister b*****s, stepmother, and others in bloodthirsty vengeance. One memorable moment: The sisters are eager to have the Prince slip the coveted glass slipper onto each of their feet. They’re so desperate, in fact, that they cut off a few toes.
“The toe cutting really just gave me the heebie-jeebies. Like, I am just like, oh!” Henstridge shared, chuckling. “It’s not even so much just a special effects thing, or practical [effects], or whatever they did. It is the concept of wanting to change yourself enough to actually take her toes off, you know? It’s just so gross. Trying to fit into the glass slipper in the old days was squeezing the foot in, and now it’s… just take the damn toes off.”
On Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 recently dropped, generating buzz and better reviews than the original horror film. The movie is part of a series of films offering a horror spin on classic children’s stories like Bambi and, in this case, Cinderella. “I haven’t seen Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2,” Henstridge shared, “but I sure as heck have heard a lot about it. I need to check it out. I’m not a big horror movie fan to begin with, so, anytime you can twist a story and make it more interesting and geared towards a certain audience that love these kinds of pictures… it’s always fun to see what people can do with it, you know?”
She went on to say, that, “There’s a little girl inside of me that goes, ‘Aw, I want it to be sweet and happy, and happy endings and all that stuff.’ There is the part of me that, on some level, liked fairy tales, but then you know, this is it. People are always trying to come up with new concepts and new ways to make something modern and new and different. It’s a fun thing. It’s fun for people that like horror, I think.”
Unpacking the Popularity of Species
The sci-fi horror film Species celebrates its 30th anniversary next year. Of the film’s appeal, Henstridge said: “There is some kind of connection that people still have to this movie. I meet people, to this day, that are so young and are watching this movie so many years after it came out. It was early on in the times when females were getting theirs, and it was female empowerment in many, many ways. I think a lot of people looked at it like that. I remember watching it in the theater and people going, ‘Get her girl!’ There was… screaming [and] an energy around it. There was something really cool about that.”
Henstridge added, “The art was incredible. H.R. Giger, I mean, was an incredible artist who designed the [alien] character. So, I think of anyone who’s interested in art on that level, he was an incredible, incredible artist. It’s amazing to me that [the film] holds up as well as it does. It’s even more amazing that people still recognize me from it sometimes. I’m like, whoa, cool.”
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Henstridge went on to point out how the film, Aliens, starring Sigourney Weaver, was released long before Species, noting: “There were some films before me with these really intensely powerful women that were taking over and doing whatever they wanted… It was early in the days of that in some ways. Then, obviously, the whole mystique about being half-human, half-alien, that’s been around forever, that kind of fantasy. Does it exist? Does it not? All of that kind of stuff. I mean, still to this day, right?”
Why Cinderella’s Revenge Is About Female Empowerment
Stay tuned. In the 2020s, another Species may just be on the horizon. In the meantime, Henstridge chatted up her upcoming thriller, House of Abraham, directed by Lisa Belcher. The film revolves around a woman (Henstridge) looking to end her suffering. When she checks into the House of Abraham, a mysterious cult, she quickly discovers something is amiss. Can she escape? “It was one of those scripts that when I was reading it, I couldn’t put it down,” Henstridge said. “I did not know what was happening from one page to the next.”
In fact, the film garnered praise at a recent screening. “There’s a lot of tension built,” she added of the film’s tone. “The tagline of the film is, ‘life is not for everyone.’ It’s so funny because we’ll put animals down when they’re in pain… And now, obviously, assisted suicide is more regulated in different parts of the world and the country. But this is one of those interesting stories about doing it on your own terms. So, it’s a very dark subject matter… not a studio film, but some really, really interesting twists.”
As for Cinderella’s Revenge, she’s quick to point out: “I think the female audience is going to feel empowered, and they’re going to have fun with it. I mean, it’s a fun popcorn movie at the end of the day, right? So, if you like horror… but you gotta like horror. It’s a fun little ride, for sure.” Catch Cinderella’s Revenge in theaters on Apr. 26. Watch the trailer below.
