But They Still Lived Happily Ever After<b> – or at Least, Happily</b>

Abstract This paper examines three films that mark Disney’s foray into postmodern fairy-tale narratives to determine if these attempts to move beyond or complicate Disney princess or fairy-tale narratives are successful. Drawing from fairy-tale studies and age studies, it particularly examines how gendered narratives and stereotypes operate within these narrative spaces, looking at the figures of the princess, the godmother, and the stepmother in Enchanted (2007), Godmothered (2020), and Disenchanted (2022). Through this study I aim to discover if Disney’s contemporary postmodern fairy-tale narratives open up more potential for women in various roles as they age, or if they reiterate various age-related gender stereotypes.