Netflix’s ‘Steps’ Finally Drops Its First Trailer, and Cinderella’s Stepsisters Are the Real Heroes

Fairy tale reimaginings have become one of animation’s most reliable playgrounds in recent years, with studios increasingly drawn to flipping familiar stories on their heads and handing the spotlight to characters who’ve traditionally been cast as villains. Netflix Animation has been especially aggressive in that space lately, riding the massive success of ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ into an increasingly ambitious slate of original features.

The studio’s next big swing takes direct aim at one of the most beloved fairy tales of all time. ‘Steps,’ an animated musical fantasy comedy loosely based on ‘Cinderella,’ has been generating buzz since its major presentation at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival earlier this year, where filmmakers teased the project’s Y2K-inspired villains and giant biker trolls.

That anticipation just reached a new peak. Netflix has officially released the first full trailer for ‘Steps,’ along with new key art and a batch of stills, confirming the animated feature will premiere globally on November 20. The footage makes clear this isn’t the Cinderella story audiences think they know, opening with stepsister Lilith directly telling viewers they “deserve to know the real story,” and promising it’s “a good one.”

Think Cinderella’s stepsisters were the villains? Think again. STEPS, a new animated film, premieres November 20.

Starring Ali Wong, Amanda Seyfried, Stephanie Hsu, Nikki Glaser, Daniel Radcliffe, Young Mazino, with Peter Dinklage, and Bette Midler. pic.twitter.com/AXqy7GqsAM

— Netflix (@netflix) September 17, 2026

According to Netflix’s official synopsis, Lilith, voiced by Ali Wong, steals the Fairy Godmother’s magic wand and hijacks the Royal Ball alongside her sister Margot, voiced by Stephanie Hsu, accidentally breaking the Cinderella story as everyone knows it. That chaos ends up dooming the kingdom to the rule of Priscilla, a villainous schemer played by Nikki Glaser, who swoops in and seizes the throne in the aftermath.

From there, Lilith is forced to team up with Cinderella herself, voiced by Amanda Seyfried, to fight off sword-wielding henchmen and biker trolls while navigating the treacherous Screaming Woods on a quest to save the kingdom. Per the trailer, the real stakes go beyond the throne itself, with the sisters’ own relationship hanging in the balance throughout their journey.

Beyond its central trio, ‘Steps’ boasts a stacked supporting cast, including Bette Midler as the Fairy Godmother, alongside Daniel Radcliffe, Peter Dinklage, Young Mazino, and WWE superstar Damian Priest rounding out the ensemble. That mix of comedic and dramatic talent reflects the film’s balancing act between big laughs and genuine emotional stakes between its two lead sisters.

Directed by Alyce Tzue and John Ripa, the film is produced by Amy Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions alongside Jane Hartwell and Kim Lessing. The project traces back to an original concept from Garfunkel and Oates duo Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci, first announced back in 2021 before evolving significantly throughout its lengthy development process.

Adding to the film’s prestige pedigree, Oscar-winning composer Kris Bowers, known for his work on ‘Bridgerton,’ ‘The Wild Robot,’ and ‘The Color Purple,’ crafted the film’s score, recording it at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. That level of musical craftsmanship suggests Netflix is treating ‘Steps’ as a genuine tentpole release rather than a minor holiday distraction.

Notably, despite its original musical roots tracing back to its Garfunkel and Oates origins, the film’s directors have discussed how the project evolved away from a traditional musical format as production continued, shifting the emphasis more toward its action-comedy elements instead.

‘Steps’ arrives as part of an increasingly ambitious Netflix Animation lineup that’s expanded rapidly following ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ with upcoming features like ‘In Waves’ and Brad Bird’s ‘Ray Gunn’ also on the horizon. As a standalone film rather than an ongoing series, ‘Steps’ is positioned as a complete, self-contained story, though any future sequel would depend heavily on how audiences respond once it hits the platform.

With its November release date now locked in and a full trailer finally giving fans a proper look at its tone and stakes, ‘Steps’ looks poised to become one of the season’s bigger animated releases. Whether it can match the cultural momentum of Netflix’s recent animated hits remains to be seen once it actually arrives.

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