Synopsis

In Fairy Tale Land, the balance between good and evil is disrupted when Frieda, Cinderella's power-hungry stepmother, unites a band of villains to seize control. With her story turned upside down, Ella abandons the traditional damsel-in-distress role and joins forces with unlikely allies. Together, they fight to restore the kingdom and reclaim the possibility of a happy ending.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film was loosely based on the German animated television series Simsala Grimm. During production, the story was substantially rewritten, the title changed, and the original characters Yoyo and Doc Croc were replaced by Mambo and Munk.

• It was initially planned as a traditionally animated film. The project was later converted to computer animation, leaving behind completed 2D storyboards and some rough animation. The change also resulted in roughly 100 animators being laid off.

• The computer animation was created with Autodesk Maya and rendered using Mental Ray. Work was distributed among several animation and visual-effects companies in Germany, Australia, Canada, and the United States.

• After acquiring North American distribution rights, Lionsgate brought in Yvette Kaplan and Doug Langdale to create additional material. Kaplan re-edited the entire film in Berlin, while much of the original score was replaced during post-production.

• Lionsgate's release made Happily N'Ever After the company's first theatrical animated feature. It opened in the United States on January 5, 2007.

• Produced on a reported $47 million budget, the film earned approximately $38.1 million worldwide. A direct-to-video sequel, Happily N'Ever After 2: Snow White - Another Bite @ the Apple, followed in 2009.

• The film is notable as George Carlin's final film appearance before his death in 2008.