Charming 2018

Prince Philippe Charming is under a powerful curse cast by his father’s former partner, Nemeny Neverwish, a jealous witch who resented that Charming’s father never married her. The spell makes him irresistibly charming to every woman in the land, a charm that lasts until his 21st birthday, when the magic will fade unless he can find his one true love. This fate drapes the realm in a complicated, hopeful tension: all the women who fall under his sway are left wondering whether their feelings could be real, and Charming himself is forced to confront what true love might actually mean beyond surface enchantment. The stakes are clear from the start: happiness is possible, but it hinges on a single, elusive connection that can break the spell at the last moment.

As the 21st birthday approaches, Charming arranges marriages with three very different brides-to-be—Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty—each unaware that they share the same intended groom. The three princesses are from very different corners of the kingdom, each carrying their own hopes, fears, and guardians. Their budding engagement scandalizes the court, and Charming’s well-meaning but flawed charm only deepens the confusion around who he is, what he wants, and whether love can ever be more than a game of appearances. To curb the chaos and teach him responsibility, Charming’s father sets him a formidable trial—the Gauntlet—an arduous journey designed to reveal his true feelings and his capacity for sacrifice.

Along the way, a bold thief named Lenore Quinonez crosses Charming’s path. Lenore’s life at sea left her wary of trust, and she quickly recognizes that Charming’s bluster masks real vulnerability. She escapes the royal guards by retreating to a bakery, and in a twist of deception she disguises herself as a baker to slip past danger. Lenore discovers that the three brides-to-be are all betrothed to the same man, which sparks a sensational scandal. Arrested at first, she is bribed by the princesses’ guardians to escort Charming on his Gauntlet quest, and she adopts the alias “Lenny” to keep her true motives hidden. The dynamic between the supposedly doomed lovers begins with friction, but it also carries the spark of something genuine that neither of them expected to find.

Lenore’s backstory gradually comes to light: she was raised at sea and developed a deep mistrust of others, a scar that makes her emotional defenses hard to breach. Yet Charming’s earnest, if imperfect, heart begins to chip away at that armor. Their uneasy partnership deepens when they encounter a tribe of towering, formidable women—the Matilija—who attack at a crucial moment. Charming’s sudden charm wins the trust of their chief, a moment that complicates Lenore’s own feelings, because the encounter hints at a possible bond that could defy the curse. The Matilija chief becomes a pivotal ally, and the tribe’s intrigue pulls Lenore and Charming toward a shared future that neither fully anticipated.

Helpful guidance arrives from another mysterious source: the Half-Oracle, a wry figure voiced by Sia. Lenore receives a crucial hint from this enigmatic guide that Charming may indeed be her true love, a revelation that sets the pair on a path toward something deeper than a mere alliance for survival. A powerful artifact—the chief’s hairpin—turns out to be more than a weapon; it’s a key that opens possibilities and helps Charming navigate dangers that would otherwise trap them in misunderstanding. With Lenore by his side and a growing belief in destiny, Charming frees Lenore from a tight spot, and their partnership begins to feel less like an act of necessity and more like a genuine connection.

Together, they progress to a stone cave bound by magic, a place crafted by Nemeny’s spells. Lenore ends up stealing a ruby, and in the process she unintentionally awakens a stone monster. Charming must figure out how to appease the creature, and the solution comes from understanding that returning the ruby to its rightful place is the thing that will calm the beast. It’s a test not just of strength but of trust—trust in each other and in the possibility that their bond can withstand the trials of the Gauntlet. As they confront danger, Lenore’s feelings begin to shift from guarded interest to something warmer and more persistent, raising the question of whether their fates are truly bound by love or merely by circumstance.

When the pair finally reach Fire Mountain, they rejoin the princesses and their guardians. The flame-lit reunion is complicated by a sudden series of misunderstandings: Lenore receives her reward, and Lenny’s coldness toward Charming creates a rift that makes him doubt whether she could be his true love. Lenore speaks plainly, and Charming realizes that Lenore’s hidden truth is exactly what he was missing all along. The Gauntlet’s test accelerates toward a revelation that could ruin all their chances if left unspoken. Charmingly stubborn as ever, Charming refuses to marry any of the princesses, choosing instead to sacrifice himself to save the realm from Nemeny’s curse.

Before the final act, Charming pens letters to all the enchanted women explaining the curse and what he has learned about love. He and his father share a solemn goodbye, a moment heavy with the weight of years and expectations. As the execution looms, Lenore’s ally—an avian friend named Illy—steals one of the letters and carries it to Lenore, delivering the critical message that confirms Charming’s true affection for her. Realizing what she must do, Lenore interrupts the hanging, and the couple finally confesses their love. Just as they begin to celebrate, Nemeny interrupts with one last gambit designed to end their happiness. In a selfless act, Charming takes the pawn in her final curse, dying to complete the Gauntlet’s final task—the blind leap of faith.

Grief-stricken, Lenore cradles Charming’s body, but a memory of true love’s kiss rekindles a spark of life. Lenore kisses him, and the spell breaks; Nemeny vanishes, and the land is freed from her curses at last. The two marry, sealing a hopeful ending that feels earned and enduring. What began as a dangerous game of enchantment transforms into a testament to trust, sacrifice, and the possibility that love can triumph even when it seems most unlikely. The realm is restored, and Lenore and Prince Philippe Charming embark on a life together, a true love story that reshapes their futures and the fate of all who inhabit their world.