Fun Take on Upcoming Fairy Tale Blitz from Hollywood

Okay, so in reading all this movie news to share with you--and I admit I am fascinated with it all--I found this blog on EW which entertained me and made me smile. I'll share my favorite part.

From Julia Roberts as an evil queen. Famke Janssen as a hunted witch. Fairy tales are going grim(m) by Kate Ward:

So you know what this means: This trend will carry on until the fat lady sings. You know, Strega Nona.

Now, I’m hardly complaining: The Princess Bride, a film that perfected the craft of fairy tale storytelling on the big screen, is one of my favorite films of all time. And, quite honestly, Snow White is way overdue for a new hairstyle. But, after Tim Burton’s dark fairy tale adaptation made bank, it seems filmmakers are becoming more attracted to the dark side of the tales — bringing them to the big screen, really, in the form they were originally written. Both The Brothers Grimm: Snow White and Snow White and the Huntsman are supposed to be more sinister versions of the tale, and Hansel & Gretel is pegged as an action film. (And as for Catherine Hardwicke’s upcoming Red Riding Hood — my my, what angsty it has!) And while that excites a Brothers Grimm fan like myself — who’d love to see the original stories, bleak endings and all — represented in some form, I wonder how it will pay off for filmmakers. Ignoring a happily ever after does allow them more creative license to challenge themselves and the viewer, but in our own bleak world — where moviegoers like to blow off steam with Shrek and its many sequels — is it a gamble to reveal to audiences what really happens on the final page of a Brothers Grimm tale? (Sure, Burton’s gotten away with dark storytelling, but that’s because the director has spent a career perfecting films with a mixture of dark themes and levity. Seeing his movies, you never walk out feeling defeated or robbed of a happy ending.)

I say, go ahead, Hollywood: Continue developing fantastical tales with melancholy overtones. Bring to the big screen The Little Mermaid Hans Christian Andersen created, with the title character (spoiler alert) committing suicide. Make an adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s original version of The Adventures of Pinocchio, which ended (spoiler alert) with the puppet being hanged for various crimes. Create the Brothers Grimm version of Rumpelstiltskin, in which the gnome (spoiler alert) literally tears himself in half in a fit of anger. (Kind of awesome, right?) And I’m still waiting for Burton to take on the petrifying title character of Heinrich Hoffmann’s children’s book, Der Struwwelpeter. Really, any of these would be better than, funnily enough, the comedic 2005 film The Brothers Grimm.

Anyone else digging the trend of grim fairy tales? Hey, it worked for 2006′s Pan’s Labyrinth, right?

Finally an entertainment writer who gets her info right and even shares many of my opinions. I am thrilled!

Film News: Hansel and Gretel (not a Snow White film!)

From Famke Janssen Will Bewitch 'Hansel and Gretel' for Paramount by Jay A. Fernandez:

Famke Janssen has joined Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton in the Paramount film Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters.

Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow) is directing the action comedy, which picks up years after the fairy-tale siblings' childhood trauma at the gingerbread house, when they've become witch bounty hunters. Janssen will play the leader of the witches.

The Gary Sanchez-produced project is scheduled to begin shooting in Berlin in March.

I've only really seen Janssen in the X-Men movies and something else I am blank on at the moment.

More Snow White Film News

Here's some more bits about the Snow White films in development...

From 2012's Second 'Snow White' Scheduled by Ray Subers:

It's shaping up to be Snow White versus Snow White in 2012. Relativity Media just announced a June 29, 2012 release date for their Untitled Snow White Movie. They also revealed that Julia Roberts has been cast as the evil queen in the Tarsem-directed adaptation, which is the second Snow White project officially announced for next year.

The movie, which is being produced by Ryan Kavanaugh, Tucker Tooley and Brett Ratner, appears to be a reimagining of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale. It's plot is described as such: "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."

This release date is nearly six months ahead of Universal's Snow White and the Huntsman, which was scheduled for Dec. 21, 2012, over three months ago. That movie has already locked its three main leads, casting Viggo Mortensen as the Huntsman, Kristen Stewart as Snow White and Charlize Theron as the queen.

From "Toy Story 3" writer to tackle Snow White project by Boris Kit:

Oscar-winning "Little Miss Sunshine" scribe Michael Arndt is in negotiations to work on the script for Disney's "Snow and the Seven," one of three rival Snow White projects in the works.

Additionally production designer John Myhre, an Oscar winner for his work on "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Chicago," has been brought on board to begin creating the worlds of the fairy tale, which is set in 19th century China.

Yes, China.

The project, which Disney has been developing since 2002, centres on a 19th century Englishwoman who returns to her Hong Kong home for her father's funeral, only to discover that her stepmother is plotting against her. She escapes to mainland China, finding solace among a rogue band of seven international warriors.

Francis Lawrence has been on board to direct since early on, even as a slew of writers has taken turns at the script. Arndt last week picked up an Oscar nomination for co-writing "Toy Story 3."

With all systems go for "Snow," the big question is Natalie Portman's involvement. She has been circling the project since last year, but her pregnancy could hinder her ability to undertake a physically intense movie that will feature several different fighting styles.

From Julia Roberts to play Evil Queen in 'Snow White' by Kate Ward:

The Brothers Grimm: Snow White has found its Evil Queen. EW has confirmed that, as rumored, Julia Roberts will be playing the villainous role for the Brett Ratner-produced film for Relativity, which starts production in April. This project, of course, is not to be confused with Snow White and the Huntsman; that Universal film, which may feature Kristen Stewart in the role of Snow White, will likely star Charlize Theron as its Evil Queen. (Viggo Mortensen is in talks for the Huntsman role.)

New Book: Sleeping Helena by Erzebet Yellowboy

Sleeping Helena by Erzebet Yellowboy is a book that I missed in last year's new releases until Erzebet sent me notification of it this week. It really is hard to keep up with all of the new releases, so please send me your book titles if you are an author. The book is available in paperback and ebook.

Book description from the publisher:

What does a girl do with eight gifted and meddling aunts, one of whom can see into the future, yet who cannot escape the curses of the past? The answer is: not much, for someone has conspired to put the girl and her aunts to sleep for one hundred years. Unlike the traditional tale of Sleeping Beauty, however, Sleeping Helena's years flow backwards - back in time to a fateful day that changed not only the lives of her family, but of an entire nation. No prince, but a King's own lover will find the beauty in her chamber. While the fate of the nation has been decided and cannot be undone, the fate of the family rests on a lover's kiss, and what Helena will do should she awake.

The book has been well-reviewed so far. You can also read more about it on Erzebet's website. Congrats Erzebet on the new book. And what a lovely cover, too....

Short Film: The Hunter and the Swan Discuss Their Meeting

The Sundance Film Festival is over for another year. One of the official selections featured at the festival was The Hunter and the Swan Discuss Their Meeting, a short film by Emily Carmichael that draws inspiration from The Swan Maiden body of folklore.

The short is available for viewing in its entirety through Sundance on YouTube and I am embedding it below. Do be aware that it has nudity that is blurred out. The short description is:

A Brooklyn couple have dinner with a hunter and his girlfriend, a magical swan woman. It doesn't go well.

From Q&A w/ Sundance filmmaker Emily Carmichael “The Hunter and the Swan…”written by Jason Sondhi:

What kind of statement were you going for with the contrast between the two couples?

Well it’s definitely that the couple with the more magical origin story has the less stable relationship. Also that the Hunter and Swan are a very gender-classic couple, but the Other Couple is a little switched in that the guy is a little more gentle and sentimental than the girl. I’ve always known lots of very sensitive men and very outspoken women, so to me they feel like a very familiar pair.


Walk us through the development process of the story and the production.

I wrote some of the film when I was back at my parents apartment looking at this old Time Life book of “Fairies and Elves” that I had. I showed it to a few people, including Josh (Kid Can Drive Producer Josh Hetzler) who really wanted me to finish it so we could make the movie. I write a lot of little fragments of things that lie around in various ways, so it was good to have someone there saying “THAT one.” Most of the crew are longtime collaborators of Josh’s, he has a little team/family/biker gang that go with him from project to project. Cara Francis played a big role in helping cast–Elizabeth Stewart, Lauren Sharpe and Brendan Donaldson are all friends of hers. Ryan Link just responded to an ad and came in to read.

There's a lot more in the article so click through to read more if you are interested. You can also visit the official film site. For now, here is the film:

Some More About the Three Upcoming Snow White Films...

Here's another article excerpt, this one more clearly describing the three different upcoming Snow White film adaptations. Which one interests you the most?

From Kristen Stewart to play Snow White in one of three upcoming adaptations:

[Snow White and the Huntsman] The story follows Snow White, banished by the queen, and the hunter, who becomes her mentor instead of following the queen's orders to kill her. It begins production this summer with plans to release December 21, 2012.

Also due in 2012, the two other versions of the Snow White story planned for release include The Brothers Grimm: Snow White and Snow and the Seven to be shot in 3D. Julia Roberts is in talks to portray the Evil Queen, according to New York Magazine's Vulture blog, and Natalie Portman is rumored to be sought as Snow White.

This "Grimm" storyline follows the original German tale from the 1800s, in which Snow White and the seven dwarfs battle with the Evil Queen as she destroys the kingdom. It will be directed by Tarsem Singh (Immortals).

Snow and the Seven will be set in 19th-century Hong Kong with seven monks (instead of dwarfs) offering refuge to Snow White, who discovers her destiny to conquer evil. It will be directed by Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend) and Yuen Woon-ping is on board as the martial arts choreographer.

Smooch on the Hallmark Channel

This Saturday, February 11th is the premiere date of Smooch on the Hallmark Channel here in the states. This is a film inspired by The Frog King and suitable for the entire family. The link here is to the official site and the following are excerpts from articles about the movie. Yes, they are all rather derogatory over all, but these types of films always seem to get this kind of treatment in reviews. If this is your taste, it sounds like you will probably like it. I myself am interested to see Kiernan Shipka in something completely different from Mad Men.

From Hallmark's 'Smooch,' starring 'ER's' Kellie Martin, isn't quite state-of-the-heart by David Hinckley:

Even on this ocean of uncertainty, however, "Smooch" retains a lighthearted charm. It's one of those movies that somehow manages to have something for everyone: the wistful child, the lonely lady, the handsome prince who knows something has been missing from his princely life, but has never been able to quite identify what it is.

Anyone slightly familiar with fairy tales will recognize all of this and know where it's going.

And, as kids say when you read them the same story for the thousandth time, so what?

From Unchallenging 'Smooch' is completely inoffensive by Rob Owen:

Next Saturday, Hallmark debuts "Smooch" (7 p.m.), a romantic comedy loosely based on the Brothers Grimm short story "The Frog King."

The best thing about it? Actress Kiernan Shipka, the 11-year-old who plays Sally Draper on "Mad Men." She's adorable, and it's a relief to see her playing a generally happy child as opposed to her most famous character. Also, it was shot in San Francisco, where it's set, and Detroit, so "Smooch" benefits from a better on-location backdrop than many TV movies.

The worst thing about "Smooch"? It moves at a snail's pace — too much time spent watching people walk around — and it's entirely predictable. At best, it's cute pabulum.

Shipka plays Zoe, a girl who loves fantasy stories and happy endings. She believes a frog she rescued from a science class has turned into a prince (Simon Kassianides, "Quantum of Solace"). She brings home the man, who can't remember how he ended up disheveled in a park, and he's hired to be her nanny. Zoe also has a widowed mother (Kellie Martin, "Life Goes On"), so you can imagine where the story will go from there.

The film's theme, according to writer Howard Burkons, is the notion that love goes on, even if you lose the one you love, as Zoe's mother has.

"That love that you find in one romance can become part of who you are," Burkons said, "and that love can spread to touch other people, and through a child's imagination, anything is possible."

'Re-enchantment' Project Down Under

Re-enchantment - FINAL TRAILER from filmart on Vimeo.

From 'Re-enchantment' project soon to launch on ABC by Simone Mitchell (that's ABC in Australia, not the US, alas, again):

A groundbreaking immersive journey into the hidden meanings of fairy tales produced by an RMIT University academic will be launched by the ABC online, on radio and on television in March.

Re-enchantment is an interactive multi-platform documentary project produced by RMIT University’s Adjunct Professor Sue Maslin, which explores why fairy stories continue to enchant, entertain, fascinate and horrify contemporary adult audiences.

The project includes an interactive online documentary (live on Wednesday, 2 March), 10 short animated documentaries (screening on ABC 1 through March from Sunday, 6 March) and sound recordings of the Re-enchantment fairy tales (airing and streaming online on Radio National’s Sunday Story through March).

“Re-enchantment has been three years in the making and is groundbreaking in its originality and its scope,” Adjunct Professor Maslin said.

“It is a poetic and provocative act of creative interpretation of fairy tales. Best of all, it is a two-way conversation and we invite the audience to contribute their own re-imaginings.”

By entering the online enchanted forest, viewers can see how fairy tales have been re-interpreted by artists, writers, animators, filmmakers, advertisers, psychologists and academics, exploring their themes and ideas as well as the meanings they carry in a contemporary world.

“In the lead-up to the royal wedding of the century, Re-enchantment gives us all the chance to find out why princes, princesses, transformations and happily-ever-afters still have resonance today,” Adjunct Professor Maslin said.

A Film Art Media production in association with Inside Out Productions, Re-enchantment has been developed and produced with the assistance of Screen Australia, Film Victoria, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the University of Technology Sydney. Written and directed by Sarah Gibson, produced by Sue Maslin, lead design by Rose Draper, narrated by Gretel Killeen.

The good news is that so far this doesn't appear to have regional blocking so hopefully those of us on other continents will be able to view the online materials when they are released.

And for you Australian readers, there are a few of you according to my stats, I'm thrilled and envious!

Fairy Tales Re-imagined Symposium in Australia

A Fairy Tales Re-imagined Symposium presented by ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) will be taking place in March in Australia, alas. I don't think I will make it to this one as intriguing as it sounds. Although I would LOVE to attend...

I'm copying the entire information page but won't block text it this time since it will be longer than usual and I don't think anyone wants to read all of it italicized. So the rest of this post is a quote:

From Werewolf to Forbidden Room


This two-day symposium will explore how traditional fairy tales are being reworked by visual artists, filmmakers and popular culture.

Join cultural commentators, psychologists and artists as they explore why fairy stories continue to enchant, entertain, fascinate and horrify adult audiences.


Thursday 10 March 2011

9-9.30am > Registration

9.30 - 10.45am > Re-enchantment: The hidden world of fairy tales for adults

Join writer/director Sarah Gibson and producer Sue Maslin for a look at Re-enchantment, an interactive multi-platform documentary project exploring the world of fairy tales. Delivered via the internet, television and radio, it combines rich content with animation for an immersive and community-building experience.


11am - 1pm > Woman and Wolf

A fairy tale over 700 hundred years old, Red Riding Hood has been reworked and re-told countless times. This panel will explore the themes and interpretations of this classic story and how it has evolved to reflect ideas about women through the ages.

Panelists:

Dr Kimberley Pearce - Girl Meets Beast: the Power of the Pelt

Jazmina Cininas - The Girlie Werewolf

Professor Barbara Creed - The Eroticism of Being Devoured

Chaired by Dr Terrie Waddell


2pm - 4pm > If the Shoe Fits: Interpreting Cinderella

Fairy tales aren't what they used to be, with modern stories rejecting the passive, conventional heroines of old. With the characters and stories changing, what does that mean for the fairytale ending and the quintessential Cinderella dream?

Panelists:

Dr Meredith Jones - The Princess and Makeover Culture

Sarah Gibson - Psychological Interpretations of Cinderella

Professor Peter McNeil - Sex, Shoes, and Cinderella

Chaired by Dr Esther Milne



Friday 11 March 2011

9.30am - 10.45am > Old Tales, New Platforms: The Creation of Re-enchantment

Join the creators of Re-enchantment, writer/director Sarah Gibson, producer Sue Maslin, and digital animator Rose Draper, along with chair Professor Norie Neumark, for a behind-the-scenes presentation of how this beautiful and complex production came together.


11am - 1pm > Working Creatively with Fairy Tales

Fairy tales have existed beyond books for generations; permeating mainstream and popular culture through film and TV, sold to us in products, and reflected in our social values. This panel will look at the recurring symbols of fairy tales and the ways we recognise and read these motifs.

Panelists:

Joy Norton - Symbols in Fairy Tales

Adam Hunt - Fairy Tale Motifs in Advertising

Dr Meredith Jones - The Symbol of Hair: The Hair Project

Chaired by Dr Constance Verevis


2pm - 4pm > The Forbidden Room: From Bluebeard to CSI

The story of Bluebeard and its themes of a forbidden room continue to appear in literature and other forms of art. This panel will discuss contemporary treatments of this darker fairy tale theme.

Panelists:

Cathy Cole - Death as Entertainment

Dr Terrie Waddell - The Forbidden Room in Cinema Narratives

Chaired by Dr Rebecca-Anne Do Rozario


Breaking news! Jeff Lindsay, creator of America's most-read, most-watched and most-beloved serial killer, Dexter Morgan, will be joining the panel of "The Forbidden Room."


Admission Two days: Full $40 Concession $30

Single day: Full $25 Concession $20

Free group bookings for tertiary students and lecturers

For bookings call (03) 8663 2583 or email fairytalesreimagined@acmi.net.au

Fairy Tales and Doctor Who Coming Soon

From Sturges teases 'Doctor Who' miniseries by Tom Aryes:

Writer Matt Sturges has teased some of the details surrounding his upcoming Doctor Who limited series for IDW Publishing.

The four-issue series is set outside of continuity and follows the current Doctor, played in the BBC TV series by Matt Smith, and his companion Amy Pond as they travel to a fairy tale land.

"The basic set-up is that the Doctor is really daring Amy to think of some place where he can take her that is beyond imagining; something that is really good," Sturges explained to CBR. "She tries to flummox him and she says when she was a little girl she always dreamed of going to a fantasy world with fairies and unicorns and elves and he thinks for a minute and then says, 'Yes. I can do that'."

The duo wind up traveling to the planet Caligaris Epsilon Six, which houses a recreational holiday park based on classic fairy tales, but are soon forced to defend the planet's inhabitants from an unknown foe.

Hply eva afta - a fairytale for Twitter

From Hply eva afta - a fairytale for Twitter by Andy Potts:

Russia’s literary traditions could soon be abridged – with the epic novels of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky replaced by the shortest of stories.

A new competition is out to prove that brevity is the soul of wit by encouraging Muscovites to submit fairy tales suitable for Twitter.

While the short story has a proud heritage in this country, mastered by the likes of Krylov, he never had to contend with an abrupt word count of just 140 characters – but that’s the challenge facing modern day wordsmiths.

There are three categories – tales for children, tales of friendship and tales of Moscow – and the rules are quite clear that miniature masterpieces must follow the folkloric pattern of a series of magical events and conflicts.

Only after that can the heroes – and the eventual prizewinners – hope to live happily ever after, helped by the award of a new electronic gadget for the best entries.

The Moscow Community Association (Moskovskaya Assotsiatsiya Zemlyachestv) is organising the competition following the success of a similar city-wide game set up by Ded Moroz’s Moscow residence.

Here is a link to the Twitter page which you can read if you read Russian or use the internet to translate but somehow I think much will be lost in translation with this one.

So does anyone have a Twitter fairy tale to share in English?

New Release: Jack of Fables Vol. 8: The Fulminate Blade

Jack of Fables Vol. 8: The Fulminate Blade by Bill Willingham & Matthew Sturges is the latest compendium Jack of Fables comics issues and was released this past week. It collects issues #41-45.

Here's the product description:

With Jack Horner, former star of JACK OF FABLES, permanently transformed into a dragon, Vertigo reboots the series with a new hero, Jack Frost.

The world in which this story takes place is the world in which Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers lived, only thousands of years later. All that remains is superstition and feudalism and all of the old technology is regarded as magic now. Jack seeks the magic blade which will defeat the Giant King. But of course nothing is as it seems since the good guys always reveal themselves to be evil in the end.

Also if you are a Jack of Fables fan, you probably already know that the series will end this year with issue #50. Here's more about it from WILLINGHAM, STURGES To End JACK OF FABLES With Issue #50 by Vaneta Rogers:

After more than four years of thrilling readers with Jack's ridiculous, wild, and often borderline-offensive acts, the Vertigo series Jack of Fables comes to an end with an oversized Issue #50 next year.

Written by Matthew Sturges and Fables writer Bill Willingham, Jack of Fables was launched in 2006 as a Fables spin-off, detailing the adventures of Jack Horner after his exile from Fabletown.

Now it comes to an end with an issue the writers promise is jam-packed with just about every character that has ever appeared in an issue of Jack of Fables. And according to Willingham and Sturges, the ending is written "the only way this series could have ended."

There's a lot more at the article so click through to read it.