Disney’s 2022 Disenchanted Movie – giving us the magic we need

Updated On: November 08, 2023 by   Sara Lynch

The 2022 release of Disney’s Disenchanted has again crossed the borders of the magical realm and real life. As a sequel to the 2007 release of Enchanted, we get to see Giselle and Robert live ‘happily ever after’ in their new suburban home, however, all is not what it seems and Giselle wishes for her old fairytale lifestyle to come back.  

Disney’s Disenchanted is a live-action musical comedy directed by Adam Shankman and featuring a range of talented cast members with protagonist leads played by Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey. The fairytale film is filled with light-hearted laughs, tongue-in-cheek humour, stunning costume design and picturesque settings that capture the unique beauty of Ireland. 

Disney Disenchated Trailer

Is Disenchanted a sequel to Enchanted?

Disenchanted is a sequel to the 2007 release of Enchanted. It picks up 15 years after Giselle and Robert wedded and we get to see them struggle through real-world problems of commuting to work, fixing up an old home and coping with life in a quiet suburban area. 

For Giselle who previously lived in a magical realm, this has led to feelings of an unfilled life and she wishes for her old fairytale life to come back, however, fairytales don’t always end in ‘happily ever after’ and Giselle has to change her wish before it becomes her reality. 

Where was Disney Disenchanted filmed? 

Disney’s Disenchanted was filmed in County Wicklow, Ireland. The film takes advantage of the picturesque settings of the Emerald Isle, which have been described as a fairytale landscape in their own right. Producer Barry Josephson describes the filming location in Ireland as, “remarkable because there are so many places in Ireland that just look like a fairy-tale as they are!”. 

County Wicklow 

County Wicklow is located on Ireland’s east coast, just south of Dublin. It is best known for being the “Garden of Ireland” which has been described as one of the most stunning and picturesque parts of Ireland. 

It’s no surprise that this was Disney’s choice for filming the enchanting and mystical set of Disenchanted, with rolling green hills, impressive waterfalls and awing displays of nature, it’s hard not to believe that this Irish location isn’t straight out of a storybook. 

Village of Enniskerry, County Wicklow

The village of Enniskerry, located in County Wicklow, was transformed into a magical town for the set of Disenchanted. The film crew waved their magic wand, temporarily replacing shop fronts with mystical signage and adding a touch of magic across the whole town. 

Village locals were pleased that their quaint village was being promoted for its charming nature and a member of Wicklow’s tourism board described the filming location as, “going to put us on the map… there’s such excitement in the air”. 

Powerscourt Waterfall, Wicklow

Another impressive location for the filming set of Disenchanted was the Powerscourt Waterfall, located in County Wicklow. The mystical spot is known for being Ireland’s highest waterfall, with over 120m of cascading water that spills over the Wicklow mountain rocks. 

Again it’s no surprise that this waterfall features throughout the Disenchanted film, it is truly stunning and almost feels like a source of real magic, or maybe it is? If you would like to see the film location, you can check out the map of Powerscourt waterfall to plan your visit, you may even get lucky and spot some of the Sika Deer who are native to the region. 

Greystones, County Wicklow

Greystones is a seaside coastal town located in County Wicklow, with breathtaking views of the Irish Sea and cliff sides that are immersed in the water, it’s not hard to imagine that this Irish town would make for the perfect location for a fairytale setting. 

If you are visiting this quaint town, be sure to do the Bray Head Walk if you are able. The hiking trail connects the two towns of Bray and Greystones and offers jaw-dropping views of the Irish coast. 

Actor Maya Rudolph, who plays the film’s main antagonist Malvina, described County Wicklow as “I feel like I got in on a little secret of such an incredible place and I’ve just fallen in love. It feels like a fairytale.” 

If you too, have fallen in love with County Wicklow and would like to see more of the mystical setting, you can check out these locations and attractions throughout County Wicklow: 

County Wicklow National Park 

Mermaid Art Centre 

Haunted Wicklow Gaol

Wicklow Town

Kilmacurragh National Botanic Gardens

Russborough House and Blessington Lake

Disney Disenchanted cast 

The cast of Disney’s Disenchanted feature a wide range of talented actors and we get to see some of our favourite actors from the film’s prequel Enchanted return again. 

Amy Adams

Amy Adams, who plays the character lead Giselle, was born in Italy in 1974, to American parents Kathryn Hicken and Richard Adams. Amy’s initial career ambitions were to become a ballerina, however, following a pulled muscle, she began auditioning for acting roles. 

Amy Adams landed her first acting job in the T.V. adaption of Cruel Intentions and then went on to gain a major role in the 2000 film release – Catch Me If You Can, starring alongside Leonardo DeCaprio. 

Since then she has starred in more successful films such as American Hustle and even played Louis Lane in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). Amy Adams has carved out a successful career, gaining an impressive two Golden Globe Awards, seven British Academy Film Awards, and two Primetime Emmy Awards.

Patrick Dempsey

Patrick Dempsey co-stars alongside Amy Adams as her Divorce Lawyer husband, Robert Philip. He was born in Maine in 1966, to American parents Amanda Casson and William Allen Dempsey.

Patrick is a well-established actor, but first began his career as a juggling artist. He was always interested in the entertainment industry though and landed his first main role as a teen in Director Harvey Fierstein’s play, “Torch Song Trilogy”.

Since then he has landed major parts and is most notably known for his long-term role in Grey’s Anatomy. Patrick also landed multiple successful roles in romcom films such as Bridget Jones’s Diary and Maid of Honour. 

James Marsden 

James Marsden, who plays the charming Prince Edward in disenchanted, was born in 1973, in Oklahoma. James first began acting in his television role in 1993, appearing in ‘Saved by the Bell: The New Class’. 

Since then he rose in popularity, gaining impressive roles in the sci-fi genre, such as Scott Summers in X-Men (2000 – 2014) and Teddy in the recent T.V. show Westworld (2016 – 2022). 

James Marsden is a versatile actor though and has dabbled in multiple genres. He appeared in the romantic film, The Notebook in 2004 and in 2021 he received an award for Outstanding Performance for his comedic role in the hit T.V. show, Dead To Me. 

Maya Rudolph 

Maya Rudolph, who plays Malvina Monroe in Disenchanted, was born in 1974 in Gainesville Florida. Her mother Minnie Riperton is a famous soul singer and her father, Richard Rudolph, was also a notable music producer. 

Maya has long-established routes in comedy, she joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2000 and in 2011 she also gained a leading role in the hit comedy film Bridesmaids. Maya continues to act and perform in comedic entertainment and in 2022 she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance for her role in Big Mouth. 

Notable cast members of Disenchanted 

The 2022 Disenchanted film features an incredible range of acting talent and some other cast members that are worth mentioning, include:

Yvette Nicole Brown

Yvette plays Rosaleen in Disenchanted and is a talented comedian, actor and host. Some of her notable acting performances include; Avengers: Endgame, Hotel for Dogs and DC Super Hero Girls.  

Idina Menzel

Idina Menzel, who plays Nancy Tremaine in Disenchanted, is an American Singer and actress. She is particularly known for her performances on Broadway and for voicing Elsa in the Disney Frozen films. 

Gabriella Baldacchino

Gabriella Baldacchino plays step-daughter Morgan Philip and although she didn’t appear in the prequel Enchanted, this performance has been described as her breakout role. We can expect to see more of her acting performance in the future. 

When will Disenchanted be on Disney Plus? 

Disenchanted will be available to watch on Disney Plus on November 18 2022. The film isn’t being released in cinemas and will only be available to watch on the Disney+ platform, so pause that Netflix account if you don’t want to miss it.

Disenchanted Reviews

The reviews on Disenchanted are mixed, with Rotten Tomatoes only giving it a 2-star rating some viewers have been left disappointed with the sequel.

One review described it as, having “no emotional gravitas, with focus only on the action, comedy, and build-up”, whilst another stated that, “there simply isn’t enough magic in Disenchanted to rekindle (or even come near) the joyous charm of the first film.
The only way to find out if the film is magical enough for you though is to check it out for yourself, head over to Disney+ and see if you get enthralled in the magic.

Check out other articles on filming locations based in Ireland – Dungeons and Dragons and An Irish Goodbye.