It’s up to Charlize Theron and Kerry Washington to craft a new generation of heroes and villains in Netflix’s upcoming movie The School for Good and Evil.
Based on Soman Chainani’s 2013 novel about a school where fairytale characters hone their craft and figure out their moral compass, the movie tells the story of two best friends Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie) who are sent to opposing sides at the institution.
The villains are taught by Lady Lesso (Theron) and the heroes taught by Professor Dovey (Washington).
Director Paul Feig has said he never thought he’d create something in the fantasy genre, but that he “fell in love” after reading the script for the dark fairytale adaptation.
“I’m always looking for female friendship stories – those are my favourite movies to make – and I’ve also always wanted to create a world, and I’ve never really had a chance to do that,” he told Entertainment Weekly.
“I got to scratch the surface of it with Ghostbusters, but that was still our world. So this just had everything I wanted. It was only after I read the script that I started reading the books, and I fell in love with everything in them. They’re very dense books, very inventive and fun, like Alice in Wonderland.”
Talking about Chainani’s novel upon which the movie is based, he added: “I think it so speaks to the way that the world is right now.”
He continued: “Somehow we’ve gotten into this very divided place where you’re either on my side or you’re against me, and you’re terrible and I’m good. It was really inspiring and I won’t say easy, but we fed off the creativity of what’s happening in this world, and with the hopes that we can, through the world of fantasy, make our statement on that.”
Read on for everything you need to know about The School for Good and Evil.
The School for Good and Evil release date
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/09/The-School-for-Good-and-Evil--28423a3.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"\"")
The movie will premiere on Netflix on Wednesday 19th October. We can’t wait!
The School for Good and Evil cast
Sofia Wylie (Disney+’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) and Sophia Anne Caruso (Broadway’s Beetlejuice: The Musical) star as Agatha and Sophie, two misfits and best friends who are sent to the aforementioned school.
“Sophie, a golden-haired seamstress, dreams of escaping her dreary life to become a princess, while Agatha, with her grim aesthetic and offbeat mother, has the makings of a real witch,” Netflix has teased.
Charlize Theron plays “glamorous and acid-tongued” Lady Lesso, who’s in charge of the School for Evil, while Kerry Washington portrays “sunny and kind” Professor Dovey, who helms the School for Good.
Back in March 2021, Washington told People she was ‘super excited’ to be involved in the project.
“It’s a fantasy land, so I’m actually having a lot of fun thinking about what the nails will look like for that character,” she said.
The movie also stars Laurence Fishburne, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Flatters, Kit Young, Peter Serafinowicz, Rob Delaney, Mark Heap, Patti LuPone and Rachel Bloom.
The School for Good and Evil trailer
A trailer has landed for the movie, giving fans a glimpse of the distinct aesthetics associated with both good and evil.
“Every so often a very lucky candidate from the outside is selected for admission to this hallowed institution”, Charlize Theron’s character says, before we see Sophie and Agatha being kidnapped and dragged into the institution by a stymph – a large skeletal bird trained by the School Master.
We also get a glimpse of two very distinct buildings at the institution – (yep, you guessed it) the School for Good and the School for Evil, with a bridge between the two hinting that the divide may not be as clear-cut as it initially seems.
Watch below:
The School for Good and Evil plot
Every four years, two children – one good, one evil – are kidnapped and taken to the institution, where they train to take part in fairytales.
In the movie, the newest arrivals, Sophie and Agatha, are placed at opposing sides of the institution, with Sophie sent to the School for Evil and Agatha whisked off to the School for Good.
“Only true love’s kiss can change the rules and send the girls to their rightful schools and destiny,” Netflix has teased.
“But when a dark and dangerous figure with mysterious ties to Sophie reemerges and threatens to destroy the school and the world beyond entirely, the only way to a happy ending is to survive their real life fairytale first.”
Talking about the message at the heart of the movie, Feig told EW: “[I]t’s really just saying, ‘Look, we’re all people, we’re all human.”
He added: “Agatha even says it in the movie, ‘You’re not evil, you’re just human.’ I think it’s a really important lesson to get across in a very stylised, entertaining way. It’s all relatable to our lives – even though it’s set in a very fanciful world.”
The School for Good and Evil will land on Netflix on Wednesday 19th October. Check out our lists of the best series on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix – or see what else is on with our TV Guide.
Sign up for Netflix from £6.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey