Steps Teaser Breakdown — How Netflix Rewrites Cinderella Through the 'Evil' Stepsisters

Netflix released a new teaser for Steps on September 17, following the film’s earlier Annecy sneak peek in July — and this one puts far more of the actual plot on screen. Steps isn’t a retelling of Cinderella so much as a hijacking of it: the story now belongs to her “evil” stepsisters, and the teaser makes clear just how literally they wreck the fairy tale everyone already knows.

The Story Netflix Has Actually Confirmed

According to Netflix’s official synopsis, Lilith (Ali Wong) — tired of living in Cinderella’s shadow — steals the Fairy Godmother’s magic wand and hijacks the Royal Ball alongside her sister Margot (Stephanie Hsu). That single act breaks the Cinderella story as audiences know it and dooms the kingdom to the rule of Priscilla (Nikki Glaser), a “villainous schemer” who seizes the throne in the chaos. From there, Lilith has to team up with Cinderella (Amanda Seyfried) herself — fighting biker trolls, outrunning henchmen, and escaping something Netflix calls the Screaming Woods — on a quest that’s framed as much about saving Lilith and Margot’s relationship as it is about saving the kingdom.

Why Priscilla Matters More Than a Typical Villain

Priscilla isn’t background conflict — she’s the direct consequence of Lilith’s own mistake, which is a meaningfully different structure than a typical Cinderella villain arriving from outside the story. The teaser shows her smashing the glass slipper, a detail Netflix’s own material confirms rather than something inferred from the footage alone. That positions the central conflict as one the stepsisters caused and now have to fix, rather than a threat that simply happens to them.

A Real Netflix Animation Milestone — If Worded Carefully

Netflix and outlets covering the film describe Steps as Netflix Animation Studios’ first end-to-end production — meaning it was made without a partner or vendor studio like Sony Pictures Animation or Skydance Animation, which handled Netflix’s earlier animated features. That’s a specific, sourced claim about how the film was produced, not a statement about its quality or scope. Directors Alyce Tzue (a Student Academy Award gold medalist) and John Ripa (a co-director on Raya and the Last Dragon) lead the project, with Amy Poehler among the producers.

Tone: Punk-Rock Fairy Tale, by Design

The teaser is soundtracked by Charli XCX’s “Mean Girls,” and Netflix’s own framing leans into an irreverent, needle-drop-driven tone rather than a straightforward classic fairy tale. That’s a presentation choice visible in the marketing itself — the footage’s attitude and music aren’t things this article is reading into the film, they’re how Netflix chose to sell it. Director Alyce Tzue has described the story’s core as personal: two very different sisters “realizing they’re more alike than different,” a theme she’s tied directly to her own experience growing up feeling like an outsider.

The Cast, Confirmed

Ali Wong voices Lilith and Stephanie Hsu voices Margot, the two “evil” stepsisters at the center of the story. Amanda Seyfried voices Cinderella, Bette Midler voices the Fairy Godmother, and Nikki Glaser voices Priscilla. Daniel Radcliffe plays the story’s Prince, Young Mazino voices Gef — described in the film’s own marketing as “a really hot troll” — and Peter Dinklage voices Roderick, described as a “murderous man-nanny.” WWE’s Damian Priest rounds out the cast as Cracktor.

What’s Still Unknown

Netflix hasn’t detailed a full runtime, additional cast members beyond those named, or how directly the film’s ending departs from the traditional Cinderella story beyond the setup already described. Nothing here should be read as confirming how the kingdom’s rule ultimately resolves, what happens to Priscilla, or specific plot beats beyond the Royal Ball hijacking and its immediate fallout — the teaser is built to establish premise and tone, not to preview the third act.

Steps arrives on Netflix November 20, 2026.