Lexi Underwood Interview: Sneakerella

screenrant.com:

The latest Cinderella remake, Sneakerella, premiered on Disney+ today and is sure to delight audiences everywhere. The modern-day adaptation of the classic princess story not only comes prepared with all-new songs that translate to a life in the Big Apple, it also reverses the genders of its lead characters. Ella is now El, played by Chosen Jacobs (from the It franchise), while Prince Charming is now Kira King (Lexi Underwood, Little Fires Everywhere), heir to a vast shoe empire.

Of course, King shoes are sneakers rather than glass slippers, hence the new title of the musical. But Kira is inspired enough by El's passion for sneaker design that she negotiates on his behalf in front of her father (played by former NBA champion John Salley). Will they be able to achieve their dreams together and walk in each other's shoes while doing it?

Related: Disney’s Modern Princess Standards Don’t Give Cinderella Enough Respect

Underwood spoke to Screen Rant about what draws Kira and El to one another despite their very different stations in life, and how she views the King family dynamic in Sneakerella.

Screen Rant: I really love the gender swapped dynamic between El and Kira. Can you talk about what draws them to each other? Why does Princess Charming like this Cinderella?

Lexi Underwood: Yeah! I think that, number one, I completely agree. What I love most about this is the fact that there's a gender role reversal.

I think that what draws Kira and El to each other is the mere fact that they are both very similar. Honestly, they are both smart; they're both relatable. They both are two people with big dreams for themselves, but they're kind of held back because of their circumstances. But with that, there's so a lot of determination