At the end of the first segment of the webcast for Netflix’s worldwide fan event Tudum, a new clip for Paul Feig’s The School of Good and Evil was presented to the audience. The film, based on the best-selling book series by Soman Chainani, introduces a new spin on traditional fairy tales by following two young girls as they are spirited away to a fantastical academy where all new tales are created. Several of the film’s stars, including Sophia Anne Caruso, Sofia Wylie, Charlize Theron, and Kerry Washington, are showcased in the new ad. As the video explains, “your finger light helps you become conscious of the power inside you,” viewers learn how things operate at the magical academy. Theron’s character expands on this, saying that the student’s use of the light indicates that they have begun channelling emotions potent enough to cast a spell. Washington’s character elaborates by saying that more powerful emotions enable more potent magic.
The trailer then cuts to Caruso’s character, who will play an antagonist in the movie, arriving to use her abilities. While Billie Eilish sings “You Should See Me in a Crown” in the background, Caruso’s Sophie develops her sinister character throughout the course of the rest of the clip. Sophie (Caruso) and Agatha (Wylie) are best friends who, in The School for Good and Evil, embark on an adventure after enrolling at a mystical school for fairy tales. While the two are close, their personalities couldn’t be more different: Sophie wants to be a princess like Snow White and has the attitude to match, while Agatha is the daughter of a witch and an outcast who is doomed to attend the School of Evil.
What they find, however, is the exact opposite of what they anticipated, and this forces them to confront their true selves. When they take on their new duties, they go on a dangerous trip together that will push their relationship to the limit. School of Good and Evil are represented by Washington and Theron, while the legendary Laurence Fishburne is The School Master. Cate Blanchett is also involved because she is narrating the story, although she won’t be shown in the film.
Additional cast members include Michelle Yeoh, Mark Heap, Jamie Flatters, Freya Parks, Kit Young, Peter Serafinowicz, Rachel Bloom, and Patti LuPone. Feig not only directed the picture but also co-wrote it with Laura Solon and David Magee. On the production side, he is joined by Joe Roth, Jane Startz, Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, and Feigco’s Laura Fischer, with Chainani, Zack Roth, and Patricia Riggen acting as executive producers. Studios have supposedly been talking about making movies based on the book before it was even published in 2013. With six volumes now published and a star-studded adaptation on the horizon, this series has the potential to become Netflix’s next Harry Potter.
Netflix’s The School for Good and Evil premieres on October 19.