Another Snow White Film: Snow White and the Huntsman

The ever generous and vigilant Christine sent me a link to this first article a few days ago.  I'm finally posting it after doing a little more research:

From: 'Snow White' Adds Another Dark, Survival Story to Her Pile of Upcoming Adaptations by Dawn Taylor:

The fairy tales wars are heating up. In addition to multiple Red Riding Hood films in the works, there's now a second Snow White picture on the table, which could go head-to-head against Brett Ratner's recently-announced project, as well as Disney's latest spin titled 'Snow and the Seven'. The insane box office generated by the 3-D 'Alice in Wonderland ' means that studios are looking to replicate that success and feed off certain public domain fairy tales, so alongside Disney's own 'Cinderella' and 'Sleeping Beauty' projects, other potential fairy tale movies are now making the rounds as well.

The Hollywood Reporter shares that a project called 'Snow White and the Huntsman' is hitting executive offices at the studios, looking for a home. Written by Evan Daugherty with Rupert Sanders, director of the upcoming 'The Low Dweller', it's reportedly hit up every studio except Disney, who already have their own Snow White movie in the pipe.

If you recall the original fairy tale, the Huntsman is the fellow who's ordered by the Queen to take Snow White into the woods and kill her. Instead, he takes pity on her and lets her live. This new re-imagining of the tale reportedly has him acting as a mentor, teaching Snow White how to survive -- which could be very interesting, especially if it involves bear traps and martial arts.

And from that Hollywood Reporter article, New take on Snow White hits the town (exclusive):

“Snow White and the Huntsman,” a new take on the classic fairy tale from scribe Evan Daugherty, director Rupert Sanders and producer Joe Roth has been making the rounds at the studios.

The only studio sitting out of the visual presentation roadshow by Sanders and company is Disney, which already has its own Snow White project, “Snow and the Seven.”

The project already has a couple of offers but no one is being invited into the castle until the process is done, which should be by Wednesday.

As evidenced by the title, the new take sees an expanded role for the Huntsman - in the fairy tale, he is ordered to take Snow White into the woods and kill her, but instead lets her go - and according to sources the two are chained together for part of the movie as they make their escape.

The Huntsman is not a love interest (fear not, the prince is still in the story) but acts more as a mentor, teaching the teen girl to fight and survive.

The billion-dollar success of Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland” (which Roth produced) has sent studios and production companies scouring the public-domain tales of yore.

Disney is developing retellings of both Sleeping Beauty, via an Angelina Jolie-Tim Burton project called “Maleficent,” and Cinderella. Warners is putting on a new coat on Little Red Riding Hood .

And then yesterday this also appeared at Universal Buys ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ Spec Script by Russ Fischer:

Last time we heard about Snow White it was because Natalie Portman was rumored for the starring role in Brothers Grimm: Snow White, a re-telling of the tale to be produced by Brett Ratner. In true Hollywood form, however, there is more than one Snow White re-do being shopped around town. There are three, in fact. One is the one I just mentioned, backed by Ratner and Relativity. The second is housed at Disney, and is called Snow and the Seven. (The, er, Twitter-friendly title.)

The third is this project for which Universal has just ponied up a rather large amount of cash: Snow White and the Huntsman.

THR says that the spec script, by Greyskull writer Evan Daughterty and with director Rupert Sanders attached, was picked up by Universal. Deadline says the deal was huge: $1.5m against $3m if/when the film is produced. That’s a lot of cash for a script that has two direct competitors. It’s a staggering amount of cash from a studio that has suffered a few big flops in the past year. First thought: the guys who nailed this sale shut are throwing around awesome cocaine. Could the script possibly be that good?

Thanks Christine!

And now I have to sit back and contemplate three possible Snow White films. A year ago the thought would have left me cold, but after translating and editing for Sleeping Beauties: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White Tales From Around the World, I'm actually rather excited. 

(The illustration is by Jennie Harbour for Snowdrop.)