With Universal and Relativity busy making two rival live-action versions of Snow White that will be released within three months of one another next year, you’d have thought any other movies based on the fairy tale would have been dropped. In fact Disney did ditch one version they were thinking about making, which would have been a modern-day take on the story, but are still working on another – and it’s undoubtedly the most unusual one doing the rounds.
The plan is to take the Snow White tale and transport it to 19th Century China, with the focus being on the dwarves, who in this version will be a disparate band of international warriors (who it seems are of normal stature) who have lost their way, and who belong to a centuries-old order. Their meeting with an Englishwoman being chased by an ancient evil is the catalyst for their redemption.
It does sound different enough from the normal Snow White that it can survive alongside the two more traditional takes on the story that are in the works. In fact it’s so different it’s difficult to understand why Disney is still linking it to Snow White at all. Indeed it appears the fairy tale elements are being minimised, as the title has been changed from Snow White And The Seven, to The Order Of The Seven.
When it was first announced, Francis Lawrence (Constantine) was loosely attached to direct, but now THR reports that commercials director and visual effects wizard Michael Gracey has replaced, and will make his feature debut with the movie. He’ll be working from a script that’s been through numerous hands, but has most recently been in the hand of Toy Story 3’s screenwriter, Michael Arndt.
The plan is to start shooting next year.