Nikki Glaser voices Priscilla in Netflix's “Steps,” escalating the kingdom-level villain problem

Netflix’s “Steps” is bringing Nikki Glaser into the role of Priscilla, the villain Netflix describes as “a schemer who will stop at nothing to control everyone around her.” Glaser joins Ali Wong, Amanda Seyfried, Stephanie Hsu and Bette Midler, in an animated fairy tale arriving on Netflix this fall. And if you have ever seen a fairy tale try to survive without a real antagonist, you already understand why this casting matters: Netflix is not just building a story, it is choosing who drives the emotional engine of the whole fractured Cinderella universe.

In that universe, “Steps” flips the familiar Cinderella setup by centering Cinderella’s so-called “evil stepsisters.” Lilith (Wong) steals the Fairy Godmother’s magic wand, hijacks the Royal Ball with her sister Margot (Hsu), breaks the Cinderella story as we know it, and dooms the kingdom to the “tyrannical rule of Priscilla” voiced by Glaser. The plot then forces Lilith to team up with Cinderella (Seyfried) as they fight biker trolls, outrun evil henchmen, and escape the Screaming Woods on an epic quest to save the kingdom, but “most importantly” to confront their relationship. In other words: Glaser is not a background cameo in a genre skin. She is the throne-snatching problem the rest of the movie has to solve.

This is also a pretty clean demonstration of how streaming platforms build animated brands now. Netflix is pairing big-name live action talent with comedians and actors who can deliver distinct voices and comedic timing, then anchoring the whole thing around a known cultural template. “Steps” is “a fractured fairy tale,” and Netflix is using that familiarity as a on-ramp, then using its cast to differentiate. Ali Wong, Amanda Seyfried, Stephanie Hsu and Bette Midler already signal a tone range, from sharp comedic beats to big-screen dramatic presence. Glaser’s addition pushes that comedic and villain-forward angle further, especially because Netflix’s synopsis frames Priscilla as insecure-driven control: “a villainous schemer who swoops in and snatches the throne.”

Glaser herself called the role “a cathartic joy,” saying it was “the jealous, try-hard, wannabe Princess” fueled by “deep-seated insecurities of unlovability and inadequacy.” She also described it as “quite a stretch,” noting “these are all characteristics that I do not at all relate to as a woman who has spent two decades clawing my way through show business.” Netflix is not just hiring a voice actor, it is using a recognizable comedic identity. For executives, that matters because voice casting is branding. If viewers recognize the voice and the comedic persona, they are more likely to treat the animated feature like an event, not just background content.

Behind the scenes, “Steps” is directed by Alyce Tzue and John Ripa and written by Ava Tramer, James Madejski, Jen Chuck, Dana Schwartz and Felicia Ho, based on a story by Tramer, Madejski, Schwartz, Ho, Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci. Production credits go to Amy Poehler, Jane Hartwell, Kim Lessing, with Poehler and Lessing producing for Paper Kite Productions. But the bigger boardroom subtext is Netflix’s production decision: it will be the first film “to be fully produced in-house within Netflix Animation Studios,” using facilities in Vancouver and Sydney (formerly Animal Logic). That is a meaningful shift for a streaming giant that has relied on external animation partners for much of its history.

When a platform goes in-house, it is usually trying to control more than just creative. It is also trying to improve predictability, build pipeline capacity, and tighten feedback loops across projects. Netflix Animation’s 2026 slate also includes “Swapped” (a co-production with Skydance Animation), the stop-motion title “I Am Frankelda,” and Brad Bird’s “Ray Gunn” (also from Skydance Animation), due out later this year. “Steps” sits inside that mix as a fully in-house proof point. The strategic implication is straightforward: Netflix wants to know how much it can scale internally without losing quality or speed, while still balancing risk by using co-productions on some titles.

Second-order effects for executives and boards: voice casting can raise perceived value, but in-house production can raise operational stakes. More control can also mean more fixed capacity to manage, more scheduling complexity, and more responsibility for delivering on time and budget. Pair that with the fact that “Steps” is arriving on Netflix this fall, and you can see the timing pressure. This is not a distant pipeline experiment. It is a near-term test of Netflix Animation’s internal model, and the outcome will influence how Netflix allocates future studio investment across Vancouver, Sydney, and its broader partner ecosystem.

For peers making decisions about animation, it’s a reminder that the “product” is not just the plot. It is the talent package, the production structure, and the strategic capacity choices underneath. If Priscilla is meant to be the villain that controls the kingdom, Netflix’s internal production approach is effectively its own kind of control system. The question for decision-makers is whether Netflix’s in-house model delivers the same kind of momentum that a star cast and a fractured fairy tale are designed to create.