How Is ‘Spellbound’ Connected to ‘Find Me in Paris’?

Ayushi S
September 1, 2023

The fantasy drama series “Spellbound” on Hulu is the brainchild of Jill Girling and Lori Mather. It centres around Cece Parker Jones, a 15-year-old who relocated to Paris, France, and now lives with her aunt while following her dream of becoming a professional ballerina. Cece discovers her witch heritage as she enrols in the Paris Opera Ballet School, setting the stage for an amazing year of school filled with adventures. Viewers will be reminded of “Find Me in Paris,” another television series about ballet dancers, by the general premise, location, and characters of this one. Here is all the information you require if you’re curious about the connections between the two shows. Spoilers follow!

How Are Spellbound and Find Me in Paris Connected?

The protagonist of “Spellbound” is Cece Parker Jones, who is accepted into the esteemed Paris Opera Ballet School. Cece relocates to Paris, France, to live with her aunt Ginger, who owns the W Apothecary shop there, in order to pursue her dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer. Cece learns she has magical abilities and comes from a long history of witches called as Wizens. So, in order to pursue her goal of becoming a professional ballet dancer, Cece must learn how to control her magical abilities.

Similar to “Find Me in Paris,” the plot involves the female protagonist learning to balance both her ballet training and imaginary adventures. The same creative teams, led by Jill Girling and Lori Mather, are responsible for “Spellbound” and “Find Me in Paris.” The primary location of both plays—the Paris Opera Ballet School—connects the two productions. Additionally, an adolescent is the protagonist of a fantasy quest in both shows. But in “Find Me in Paris,” time travel serves as the fantastical component that propels the narrative. Instead, “Spellbound” replaces the time travel antics with magic while keeping the essential aspect of teen drama. The protagonists’ varying ages is another significant distinction between the two shows.

The 2018 premiere of “Find Me in Paris” was followed by three seasons, totaling 78 episodes. It centres on 1905 Russian princess Helena “Lena” Grisky as she prepares to become a ballerina. Lena is transported to the present day by her boyfriend’s gift of jewellery, where she enrols in the Paris Opera Ballet School. As a result, “Find Me in Paris” and “Spellbound” share some themes and narrative elements. However, each episode has its own cast of fascinating individuals, giving them a distinct personality. Nevertheless, the actor Rik Young returns in “Spellbound” to play Armando Castillo, a ballet teacher at the institution from “Find Me in Paris.”

The ‘Spellbound’ project appealed to us because it goes further in terms of diversity and inclusion, according to Claire Heinrich, France Télévisions’ deputy director of children’s programmes and head of acquisitions, about the two shows. “After ‘Find Me in Paris,’ which enchanted our viewers for three seasons in the exceptional setting of the Paris Opera, the ‘Spellbound’ project appealed to us because it goes further in terms of diversity and inclusion,” she said. In the end, “Spellbound” functions as a branch off of “Find Me in Paris.” It can also be seen as the original series’ spiritual heir, though. Both programmes offer teenagers a fun and exciting journey while juxtaposing commonplace problems with fantastical events that could end the planet.