‘The Ugly Stepsister’ – Shudder Acquires Fairy Tale Body Horror Movie Ahead of Sundance

The Sundance Film Festival has unveiled its 2025 lineup, which includes fairy tale body horror movie The Ugly Stepsister. Shudder has announced today that they’ve acquired the North American, UK, and ANZ rights to the horror twist on Cinderella.

The Ugly Stepsister will debut on Shudder in 2025.

The film follows “Elvira as she prepares to earn the prince’s affection at any cost. In a kingdom where beauty is a brutal business, Elvira will compete with the beautiful and enchanting Agnes to become the belle of the ball.”

It marks the feature debut from Norwegian writer and director Emilie Blichfeldt, and stars Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, and Ane Dahl Torp.

Said Director Emilie Blichfeldt, “I am beyond thrilled to bring The Ugly Stepsister to Sundance and ultimately to a wider audience alongside my incredible team and in partnership with Shudder. This beauty horror twist on Cinderella is inspired by The Brothers Grimm version and by my own struggles with body image. My goal is to provoke both empathy and discomfort, and inspire audiences to reflect upon their perceptions of, and relationship to, beauty.”

“The Ugly Stepsister turns a classic fairytale inside out with twisted depictions of shocking burlesque body horror at its best,” said SVP of Shudder Acquisitions and Production Emily Gotto. “Emilie Blichfeldt’s first time feature is an astonishing accomplishment and we’re proud to debut her film on Shudder later next year.”

The film is produced by Maria Ekerhovd in Norway for Mer Film (The Innocents, War Sailor, Joachim Trier’s upcoming feature Sentimental Value). It is co-produced by Lizette Jonjic for Zentropa Sweden, Mariusz Włodarski for Poland’s Lava Films (The Girl with the Needle), Theis Nørgaard for Denmark’s Motor (The Dead Don’t Hurt), Zefyr and Film i Väst, with support from the Norwegian Film Institute, the Polish Production Incentive and the Polish Film Institute, the Swedish Film Institute, the Danish Film Institute, Eurimages, DR, Nordisk Film & Tv Fond, Vestnorsk Filmsenter.

With Sundance just around the corner, stay tuned for Bloody Disgusting’s review of The Ugly Stepsister and coverage of the fest.