Ella Enchanted is a
Newbery Honor book written by
Gail Carson Levine and
published in 1997. The story is a retelling of
Cinderella featuring various mythical creatures including
fairies,
elves,
ogres,
gnomes, and
giants. In 2006, Levine went on to write
Fairest, a retelling of the story of
Snow White, set in the same world as
Ella Enchanted. On April 9, 2004, a
movie loosely based on the novel was released. It was directed by
Tommy O'Haver and starred
Anne Hathaway and
Hugh Dancy as Ella and Prince Charmont, respectively. The film received mostly mixed reviews, and was heavily criticized for its changes to the source material. Levine stated that the film is "so different from the book that it's hard to compare them," noting the addition of new characters such as Sir Edgar and Heston, and suggested "regarding the movie as a separate creative act".