First Images of ‘The Ugly Stepsister’: Emily Blichfeldt’s Twisted Fairytale Horror to Premiere Opening Night at Sundance!
‘The Ugly Stepsister’ is a comedy horror film directed by Emilie Blichfeldt, reimagining the Cinderella tale as a dark, bloody rivalry between Elvira and her stepsister. Starring Lea Myren and Thea Sofie Loch Næss, it premieres on January 23, 2025, at Sundance’s Midnight Section and will also appear at the Berlin Film Festival.
The movie, an international production, hits Norwegian theaters on March 7, 2025. In a dark and twisted version of Cinderella, Elvira is determined to outshine her beautiful stepsister and win the prince’s attention, no matter the cost.
The story explores her obsession with beauty, featuring tapeworms, decaying bodies, and gruesome 19th-century surgeries. Combining humor and horror, the film critiques the beauty industry’s pressures while evoking sympathy for Elvira, who is caught in her mother’s extreme makeover schemes in her quest for love and acceptance.
You can check out the movie’s first official stills below:
The film is produced by Maria Ekerhovd of Mer Film in collaboration with Zentropa Sweden, Lava Films, and Motor Productions, with support from multiple film institutes across Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Denmark.
Writer and director Emilie Blichfeldt described the film as “a beauty horror twist on Cinderella,” inspired by the Brothers Grimm version and her personal struggles with body image. She added, “My goal is to provoke both empathy and discomfort and inspire my audience to reflect upon their perceptions of, and relationship to, beauty.”
The cast of The Ugly Stepsister features Lea Myren as Elvira and Thea Sofie Loch Næss as her stepsister Agnes, with Ane Dahl Torp portraying the manipulative stepmother, Rebekka. Supporting roles include Flo Fagerli as little sister Alma, Isac Calmroth as Prince Julian, and Malte Gårdinger as Isak. Other notable characters are played by Ralph Carlsson, Adam Lundgren, and Katarzyna Herman, adding depth to the film’s dark and twisted story.
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