Cinderella stars Lily James and Richard Madden have revealed their costumes proved to be the biggest pain on the film’s shoot.

Lily, who stars as the fairytale princess in Kenneth Branagh’s live-action version of Disney’s animated movie, admitted recreating the classic ballroom dance with Prince Charming (Richard) in that flowing blue gown, wasn’t easy.

“You just had to look at the dress and it ripped,” the 25-year-old actress said at the film’s Hollywood premiere. “Also I would turn and then 10 minutes later, the skirt would catch up with me and Richard had a sword and it was all kind of chaotic.”

Lily James in Cinderella
Lily James in that dress (Disney/Jonathan Olley)

The former Downton Abbey star, who looked every inch a princess at the premiere in a shimmering Elie Saab dress, added: “But we kind of got it at the end partly because Richard would slide his feet rather than step and it was brilliant. It took a lot of work, a lot of hard work and Richard was a real pro.”

Lily James
Lily in Elie Saab (Todd Williamson/Invision/AP)

Kenneth said: “I remember the first time we rehearsed it with everybody else and Lily just came over and squeezed me and went, ‘I am so scared.’ I said OK, that’s good, that’s natural.

“I said, ‘You know what, we’ll start with the second dance’. So we started with the second dance and then to the first one and they were fine. They just needed warming up.”

Richard, meanwhile, had to squeeze himself into very revealing tights.

Richard Madden and Jenna Coleman
Richard Madden and girlfriend Jenna Coleman (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

“It wasn’t comfortable,” the Game Of Thrones actor admitted.

“You’re just self-conscious most of the time because you’re like, should I stand against the wall because I feel naked behind me so you hide your bum and then you feel uncomfortable so you turn but then you want to hide your front but then your bum is showing, anyway.”

Cate Blanchett, Lily James and director Kenneth Branagh
Cate Blanchett, Lily James and director Kenneth Branagh (Todd Williamson/Invision/AP)

Cate Blanchett, who portrays Cinderella’s evil stepmother, said she is thrilled with what Kenneth has done with the story.

“I must admit that Cinderella was never a fairy story that I gravitated towards because I found the character quite passive,” she revealed.

Cate Blanchett in Cinderella
Cate at the ball in Cinderella (Disney/Jonathan Olley)

“This is a really active retelling of it. It’s not some sort of kick-ass, gun wielding, gun-toting kind of so-called contemporary version. It’s a quietly powerful rendition of the character. You really understand why she endures what she does because the more tragedy that gets placed upon her the more open and generous and compassionate she becomes as a human being.”

The Oscar-winning actress continued: “Any child to take that away, any child that has experienced bullying, to say, deal with your opponent with pity and grace and dignity. I think that’s a wonderful thing. It’s a very quiet but powerful message.”

Kenneth joked that making the film has given him a new appreciation for females’ love for footwear.

“I think the personal relationship with the story surprises me as does for the first time of my life I have an understanding of the complete obsessive fascination that women have with shoes,” he said.

Cinderella opens in UK cinemas on March 27.