clips and trailers: Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

It’s funny how things work in the world of cinema sometimes… Now Snow White is of course a popular tale for adaptation, but Snow White and the Huntsman is the second big studio version this year.

This version looks to be an altogether darker take on the story than Mirror Mirror, the Julia Robert’s family friendly affair we saw back in March. Of course, dark is just the way I like it but the biggest surprise about this is that Snow White and the Huntsman is the version from the “Producers of Alice in Wonderland” while Mirror Mirror was the one from Tarsem Singh, director of Immortals and The Cell… I guess everyone likes to try something different from time to time.

Just in case you didn’t know, Snow White is one of the many European fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm back in early 1800s. There are many variations but the best known version of the tale is probably the Disney one from 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

In the Disney version, Snow White is the step daughter of an evil Queen. Obessesed with being the most beautiful in the kingdom and jealous when she hears Snow White will surpass her, the Queen sends a huntsman out into the woods to kill Snow White and bring back her heart as proof. The huntsman however finds it impossible to kill her, he sends her away and brings back an animal heart in an attempt to fool the Queen. Meanwhile, Snow White meets a group of dwarves and hides in the forest. Eventually the Queen, through her magic mirror, discovers Snow White is still alive, poisons an apple and disguises herself as a hag in a plan to feed to apple to Snow White and send her into an endless slumber. The plan is successful but the dwarfs find out what the Queen has done, find her and, after a struggle, the Queen falls to her death. The dwarfs place Snow White in a glass coffin where she sleeps on until, one day, a Prince finds Snow White, kisses her and awakens her from her sleep… and everyone lives happily ever after.

I get the impression that Snow White and the Huntsman is going to be a little different from the Disney one. For starters it appears the Huntsman (played by Chris Hemsworth) has a bigger role. And somewhere along the way Snow White appears to be raising an army! I certainly have no problem with a bigger role for Hemsworth and I’m intrigued to see where they go with Snow White as a warrior Princess. I’m not gonna lie, I’m a bit worried that we’ve got Kristen Stewart as the lead… but who knows, she was alright in Welcome to the Rileys, maybe she’ll pull this one off…

… oh, and Charlize Theron looks fantastic. All things equal, I think this could be fun.

I guess all will be revealed on 30th May.

In the meantime I’ve assembled all the clips and trailers I could find. What do you think? Are you looking forward to this darker take on the traditional fairytale?

UPDATE

update: 16 May 2012 New video added – featurette: Snow White and the Huntsman On The Set: Beauty Evil

update: 21 May 2012 New videos added – featurette: Snow White and the Huntsman On The Set: Into the Sewer and featurette: Snow White and the Huntsman – Inside The Action