There’s a bit of a battle royale going on at the moment between two rival movies based on the Snow White fairy story – Snow White and the Huntsman, and The Brothers Grimm: Snow White. Until recently the former seemed to have the most momentum behind it, with Huntsman locking in Kristen Stewart to play the the princess, Charlize Theron as the wicked queen, Ruper Sanders directing and it seemed they’d have Viggo Mortensen as the Huntsman, who takes Snow White under his wing and teaches her to survive in the forest.
However the film has now been dealt a blow, as it seems discussions between Universal and Mortensen have broken down. According to THR, it’s been a difficult process, with the actor asking for more than the studio was willing to pay, the whole talks breaking down – at which point Mortensen considered joining Superman – before picking up again. However the two sides simply couldn’t make it work. Although there’s the possibility it’s all a negotiating tactic, at the moment Mortensen is out.
However The Brothers Grimm: Snow White is picking up steam, with Relativity Media setting a June 2012 release date, six months ahead of the December bow of Universal’s movie, and closing a deal to have Social Network star Armie Hammer play the prince. Julia Roberts is also locked to be the evil queen, while Saorise Ronan is in talks for the title role but is yet to sign. Tarsem Singh will direct.
Although initially said to be a traditionalist take on The Brothers Grimm story, in the press release announcing Hammer’s deal, they say it will be ‘a retelling of one of the most beloved fables of all-time, [which] will eschew the traditional story in favour of a more modern tale full of comedy and adventure. After her evil stepmother kills her father and destroys the kingdom, Snow White bands together with a gang of seven quarrelsome dwarfs to reclaim what is rightly hers.’