Bonham Carter 'reinventing the Fairy Godmother'

Helena Bonham Carter is trying to reinvent the Fairy Godmother.

The 48-year-old takes on the iconic role in the forthcoming live-action version of Disney classic, Cinderella.

While Helena is used to playing darker characters including Lestrange in the Harry Potter films, she is relishing the challenges her current part has created.

“It’s an icon, it’s a tricky one because a fairy godmother, everyone has an idea of a fairy godmother,” she told MTV. “And also it’s kind of difficult to believe yourself as a fairy godmother, because it’s like a myth. You try and reinvent it, try to really believe having the thought of turning a pumpkin [into a carriage].”

Helena is renowned for playing quirky characters including Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd and the bigheaded Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland. And the Academy Award nominee will still be bringing some of those eccentricities to the table in Cinderella.

“Why would she choose a pumpkin to be a transport'” she mused rhetorically. “It could have been anything! But why would it be a vegetable' You have to work out, does she only transmute vegetables, or can it be fruit' Is she going for the shape'”

Analysing characters and the way they tick is one of the things Helena enjoys most about acting. She has a copious amount of notes that she can refer back to at any time.

“I have files and files,” she laughed. “But that’s what I love doing. And then you have to be open to everything else, and learning your lines. And then you root it in physical stuff like costume, teeth and makeup.”

Cinderella is due to hit cinema screens in March 2015.