Both Universal and Relativity are planning Snow White based adventure films. Both have a nice smattering of star-power, and both are planned for release next year.
This happens sometimes when you have more than one studio reading the same reports about popularity trends. They are not copying off of one another. Often, in these cases, they both believed themselves the only ones to be making such a film when the project was given the green light, or they would never have begun, but now that it’s underway, and filming has begun on both, there is no going back.
The first of the two will be out in March, and that’s the one from Relativity media. This one is a supposedly edgy retelling of the essential Snow White story.
“This is not your grandfather’s Snow White,” said Producer Brett Ratner early in the production process, “His dwarves were miners, and here they are robbers. There is also a dragon that was in the original folk tale… [O]urs is edgy and there is more comedy. The [Disney version], made for its time, was soft compared to what we’re going to do.”
Directed by Tarsem Singh, the film has already announced among its cast Julia Roberts, Lily Colins, Nathan Lane, and Danny Woodburn among others, and Relativity has just today announced that geek- favorite Sean Bean from the super popular Game of Thrones series has been cast, most likely as Snow White’s father, the king.
What the relativity film does not yet have is a title.
Elsewhere in Hollywood, Universal is working on Snow White and the Huntsman, which is intended to focus more closely on the princess’ relationship with the man who was intended as her executioner.
It’s already been announced that he’s not a love interest; the story still pushes the Snow White into the arms of her prince. The huntsman becomes more of a father-figure, I guess, which is odd that they chose such a young actor to play the role.
The film is lead up by Chris Hemsworth and Kristen Stewart in the title roles. It also stars Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin, and Bob Hoskins. Stewart may seem like a strike against the casting in the eyes of many who disliked her performance in the Twilight films, but it may give us a strong indication of who the audience for this film is intended to be.
Relativity’s film is slated to release 16 March 2012, while Snow White and the Huntsman is set for 1 June 2012.
