The stars of Netflix’s bewitching new film The School for Good and Evil have praised the story's focus on female friendship and their character's solutions to otherworldly problems, rather than just boys. Watch the trailer below:
Based on the popular 2013 novel of the same name by Soman Chainani, the film stars High School Musical: The Musical: The Series actress Sofia Wylie and Sophia Anne Caruso as two friends who are whisked away to the titular school.
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Despite being complete opposites with Sophie (Caruso) a typically fair-haired and cheery wannabe princess who is inexplicably sent to the school for evil, while Agatha, who is a pariah and taunted as a witch by the townsfolk, is sent to the school for good, turning their worlds upside down.
Both stars had read the book before filming started last spring and they were both immediately drawn to the stories tale of girl power and friendship.
Sophia, who read the first two books, tells Tyla: “I was most drawn in by a story about friends, and a fairy tale of focused on the girls and their solutions, not boys. I was pretty drawn to that.”
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Sofia had intended to read the book before joining the cast and, even though there are a few changes between Paul Feig and David Magee’s screenplay and the book, she also loved it.
“I was really interested [in the film] because I already really liked the concept of the books. And so knowing that it was being turned into a live action movie, I was really excited about that. And I wanted to be a part of it in any way that I could."
And towards the end of the film, the two pals share a kiss instead of the typical prince charming-style true love's first kiss which we usually see in fairytales.
Before this, however, chaos ensues as Sophie goes through a horrendous transformation into a witch when her struggle to resist to the dark magic in the school of evil fails.
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Caruso looks completely unrecognisable and we’re not just talking about her new black gowns. She even sprouts a new witchy nose, grey hair and wrinkles.
“It was pretty cool,” Caruso said about her metamorphosis. “It was pretty epic. It took a long time. It took me six and a half hours in the chair I think something like that maybe give or take.
"And I had actually never put it on until the first day that I was on set actually shooting it. So I never got to test them out. Or, you know, figure out what I was going to do.
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“So it was very on the spot - that I kind of had to make choices of what I wanted to do with the character but it was pretty cool. "I remember going in my trailer and looking in the mirror the first time when I was alone with it on and I thought 'eugh!’”
The cast also includes Scandal star Kerry Washington, Black-Ish alum and The Matrix star Laurence Fishburne and Charlize Theron.
Kerry is one of Sofia's idols and the pair share several funny, intense and magical scenes together.
“I got to know her throughout the rest of filming and I learned that the person I’ve looked up to my entire acting career is also a wonderful mother and human being and wife," she said.
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The pair also admitted what school they'd prefer to go to, with Caruso revealing she’d absolutely attend the school for evil: “Seeing the very lush sets of the School for Good, I think I could maybe want to be there… Nah, I’d definitely go to the School for Evil. It’s where I belong.”
Meanwhile Wiley said: “I would definitely be at the school for Good. I’ve always grown up as a goody-two-shoes, so I think I would definitely fit in there.”
The School for Good and Evil is available to watch on Netflix now.
Topics: TV And Film, Netflix
Gregory Robinson