Netflix’s animated feature Steps is turning the classic Cinderella story on its head by making the stepsisters the heroes, and the film just landed one of Hollywood’s most beloved voices: Bette Midler will play the Fairy Godmother in what is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated family films of 2026.
The casting news, confirmed across major entertainment outlets including Variety’s report on the animated feature, adds serious star power to a project already packed with talent.
Ali Wong voices stepsister Lilith, Stephanie Hsu voices stepsister Margot, and Amanda Seyfried takes on the role of Cinderella herself. Midler’s Fairy Godmother, however, is no ordinary bibbidi-bobbidi-boo type.
A Fairy Godmother With A Twist
In a statement about joining the production, Midler made clear that her version of the iconic character breaks from tradition. “The beloved Fairy Godmother, the wholesome Fairy Godmother, the one with all the good intentions, has been around for a long, long time,” Midler said in a Netflix news release. “This particular version of the Fairy Godmother has good intentions, but she’s a little bit of a bumbler, and she’s a little bit of a schemer. I’m thrilled to be part of this film! And I’m thrilled to be with this cast!”
That self-aware, comedic spin on a fairy tale staple fits neatly into what Steps is trying to accomplish overall: a story that questions who gets labeled a villain and who deserves a happy ending. For parents who have spent years explaining to their kids why the stepsisters are always the bad guys, this film offers a genuinely different answer.
What The Story Is Actually About
Rather than following Cinderella’s journey to the ball, Steps centers on Lilith and Margot, two sisters who are tired of living in Cinderella’s shadow. According to production details from Animation World Network, the two sisters hatch a plan to steal the Fairy Godmother’s wand and take over the Royal Ball, but things go sideways fast. Lilith ends up blamed for the chaos, Margot gets accidentally transformed into a frog, and a prince-obsessed schemer named Priscilla seizes control of the kingdom. Lilith must then join forces with Cinderella and an unlikely companion to rescue her sister, restore order, and demonstrate that so-called villains can earn their own happily-ever-after.
The adventure involves biker trolls, evil henchmen, and a harrowing stretch through the Screaming Woods, according to first-look images and plot details released by Netflix. It’s a far cry from the gentle pumpkin-carriage version most kids know, and that’s entirely the point.
Co-director Alyce Tzue, a Student Academy Award winner, brought a deeply personal lens to the project. Tzue shared with Netflix, “This story is, at its core, about two very different sisters, one who fits perfectly into this fairy tale kingdom and one who doesn’t, realizing they’re more alike than different. It’s such a personal story for me because, growing up as an awkward, artsy Taiwanese kid in suburban New Jersey, I often felt like an outsider, like ‘happily ever after’ wasn’t meant for me. I wanted to create a film for everyone who has ever felt like they didn’t belong, and show how a single act of kindness can change everything.”
Why This Film Matters For Families
The premise of Cinderella’s stepsisters as misunderstood protagonists rather than straightforward villains is more than a clever marketing hook. As Parents.com noted in its coverage of the film, the story reframes characters children have been taught to see as antagonists, which opens up rich conversations about perspective, fairness, and empathy. Those are exactly the kinds of conversations parents of young kids are often looking for an entry point into.
The film also joins a growing wave of fairy tale retellings that ask audiences to question the original narrative, a trend that has proven popular with both children and the adults watching alongside them. For kids who love stories that challenge what they think they know, Steps looks like a natural fit, and for parents who enjoy animated films that carry a genuine message, the combination of a thoughtful premise and a cast this strong is hard to ignore.
Families who enjoy animated stories that model responsibility and growth will find those themes woven throughout this one as well.
What makes Steps worth paying attention to isn’t just the celebrity cast or the Cinderella brand recognition. It’s the fact that a major streaming platform is investing in a story that centers characters who are usually dismissed, told through the eyes of a director who knows firsthand what it feels like to be the outsider in someone else’s fairy tale. That combination of personal storytelling and mainstream platform reach could make this one of the more meaningful animated films young audiences see this year.
Steps is set to debut on Netflix later in 2026. No specific release date has been announced yet.
