Chad Michael Murray Explains His Idea for a 'Cinderella Story 2' Plotline (Exclusive)originally appeared onParade. Chad Michael Murrayhas a "plot for almost everything" — including the perfect plotline if the chance to make a sequel forA Cinderella Storyever presented itself. TheFreakier Fridaystar, 43, shared his genius idea for a follow-up film to the beloved 2004 teen rom-com inParade's wide-ranging cover story, which explores everything from Murray's decades-long career to his quiet family life and more. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 "I think the way that I would do it would be, as love does in high school, it doesn't work out. Most of the time, they've gone separate ways. They've had their lives," Murray begins. "Maybe my character [Austin] would be a teacher at this point, an English teacher back at the school, and maybeHilary[Duff]'s character [Sam] got married, had kids [and] it didn't work out. And now her daughter happens to be in my class, and you do a dual Cinderella story, where she's a little shy, and she maybe doesn't fit in. And [my character] nurtures that. And blah, blah, blah. I think that would be something to tell." TheOne Tree Hillalum goes on to tellParadewhy he thinks the movie — which also stars Duff,Jennifer Coolidge,Dan ByrdandJulie Gonzalo— has stood the test of time. "I think that as we can see, there's an audience for a lot of those movies that were out there [in the early 2000s]," he says. "Still today, young girls are watching it all the time, and every time it's on, I'm sitting there going, 'You know what? They did a great job with this film. Hats off to everybody that was a part of this film.' They did a great job." As for what makes for the perfect sequel, Murray — who returns to the big screen in Disney'sFreakier Friday, in theaters Aug. 8 — tellsParadeit's not just about the plot. "I think if the script's right and the story's good, a hundred percent," he says of making a sequel, adding, "And if you get the originals, the OGs — I'm getting a little old to say OG — the original cast has got to be there. Without that, I don't think it works. You know what I mean? It feels cheap. Go make another story if that's [the case]." Related:Inside Chad Michael Murray's Quiet Life as a Dad of 3 and the 'Pact' He Made With His Family (Exclusive) Chad Michael Murray Explains His Idea for a 'Cinderella Story 2' Plotline (Exclusive)first appeared on Parade on Jul 19, 2025 This story was originally reported byParadeon Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.