Cinderella, Disney's new live-action adaptation, is refreshed in story and in look

Cinderella, the live-action version of Disney's beloved 1950 animated classic, sweeps into theatres next weekend, tempting a new generation of fantasy fans to fall in love with the enchanted story.

The film, directed by Kenneth Branagh, stars Downton Abbey's Lily James as the ill-treated title character and Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett as the wicked but misunderstood stepmother.

Helena Bonham Carter takes a turn as Cinderella's fabled guardian, the Fairy Godmother.

Like the cartoon original, Cinderella centres on a young girl named Ella, whose father remarries after the death of her mother. The sad story grows even more horrific when Ella's father passes away, leaving her to the torment of her stepmother and stepsisters, Anastasia and Drisella.

Like all good fairy tales, magic and good find a way of turning Ella's misfortune on its head. But fans of the classic will notice a few differences in Disney's modern remake.

"We're not doing a revisionist version of Cinderella," said screenwriter Chris Weitz in a statement. "But for a modern audience, it's very hard to figure out why she doesn't run away and go to social services or something like that."

Branagh, who directed the 2011 hero movie Thor, felt it was important to make Ella a true heroine too.

"We tried to make it absolutely clear that we were presenting a girl whose life would not be dependent on or defined by a man arriving," said Branagh.

"Cinderella rises to the challenge."

Classic story, fresh look

The re-imagining of the classic tale is embodied in the intricate costumes worn by the movie's actors.

Three-time Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell drew on classic Hollywood when creating the look for the adaptation.

"Of course, it had to be a contemporary version of a classic," Powell told CBC's Eli Glasner during a special exhibit of art related to the movie.

"We're talking about 19th century with a twist," explained Powell, who looked at Marlene Dietrich and Joan Crawford movies of the 1940s when designing the costume for Blanchett's evil stepmother.

"Even though we're doing a period-looking piece, it's still going to appeal to a contemporary audience...I just did the Cinderella I wanted to see."

Cinderella hits theatres on March 13, and will open with a screening of the new short Frozen Fever.

Watch the video above for more about the movie and Sandy Powell's striking designs.