Tamal Kundu
‘Disenchanted’ is a Disney+ musical fantasy comedy film that is the sequel to the immensely popular 2007 movie ‘Enchanted.’ 15 years have passed since Giselle (Amy Adams) found her happily ever after with the New York divorce lawyer Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey) and his daughter Morgan. When the sequel opens, Morgan is a teenager, and Giselle and Robert have a daughter together, Sofia. While Giselle is happy with how her life has turned out, she becomes overwhelmed by the constant changes. Giselle convinces Robert and Morgan that they should move to Monroeville, a picturesque suburbia close to New York. When her problems persist even there, Giselle tries to fix them with magic, with disastrous results.
Most members of the original cast reprise their roles in the sequel. Besides Adams and Dempsey, James Marsden and Idina Menzel return as Edward and Nancy, respectively. However, Rachel Covey, the young actress who portrays Morgan in the first film, is noticeably absent in the sequel. Instead, Gabriella Baldacchino plays the teenage Morgan in ‘Disenchanted.’ Here is everything you need to know about it.
Why Was Morgan Philip Recast in Disenchanted?
Although the filmmakers haven’t yet addressed the subject, it seems like they recast Morgan to deal with age-related complications. As mentioned above, when the sequel opens, 15 years have passed since the events of the first film. Morgan was six years old in ‘Enchanted,’ and if they had maintained that part of the storyline, she would have been 21 in the sequel, which would have been detrimental to the plot, as the film needs her to be a teenager to build up an initial conflict between her and Giselle.
Moreover, born on June 15, 1998, Covey is 24 as of late 2022. Although many actors in their 20s have played teenagers over the years, the filmmakers likely thought it would be better to cast a teenager to play a teenager. According to reports, Baldacchino was 19 years old at the start of the production.
Another possible reason for the recast is that Covey’s focus has shifted from acting since the release of ‘Enchanted,’ which is her last film to date. Covey did one other film before that, ‘Duane Hopwood,’ which came out in 2005.
Baldacchino is relatively new in the industry. Before ‘Disenchanted,’ she appeared as various minor characters in projects such as ‘Tower Heist,’ ‘Ask for Jane,’ and ‘The Conners.’
In May 2021, director Adam Shankman and Adams surprised Baldacchino with the news that she had been cast as Morgan during their social media takeover of the Walt Disney Studios’ Twitter account.
“I think, honestly, dream come true is the best way to put it,” Baldacchino said about her casting in an interview with Vital Thrills, “I mean, when I was little, and even growing up, ‘Enchanted’ was my favorite movie. So, being able to join all these people was surreal to me. As you said, little Gabby would probably faint if she knew where we were now.”
The actress continued, “And I mean, this has been a dream of mine, you know, to get to be a part of something like this. It’s just kind of completely changed my life. And I’m so, so grateful to sing music written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. Like, I grew up performing. I loved musical theater and singing, so that wasn’t new for me. But to get to originate something that they wrote, it’s an honor, you know?”
Where Is Rachel Covey Now?
Although Covey seems to have left acting behind. She is apparently very much active in the entertainment industry. A graduate of Northwestern University, Covey is an up-and-coming composer and playwright. She wrote and scored the musical ‘Painting Faye Salvez,’ which joined the 2017 New York Musical Festival (NYMF). Covey reportedly made an appearance at the blue carpet event for ‘Disenchanted,’ showing her support for the project.
Read More: Where Was Disenchanted Filmed?
