Spin me a fairytale

Hollywood film-makers are working on their own versions of centuries old fairytales.

The rise of romanticism in the 19^th century gave way to a burst of romantic and fairytale literature mostly propagated by writers such as Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, reports scholar.harvard.edu. Little did these authors know that their fables of ‘happily-ever-after’ romance would be picked up years later and made into feature films by Hollywood.

Hollywood has always harboured a fetish for fairytales, the occasional display of which could be seen in big-budget adaptations of classic fairy tales. The trend, which took a backseat post 9/11, was resuscitated by Tim Burton’s 2010 take on Alice in Wonderland. Even though the film seemed like a derailed version of the original classic, it still took the box office by storm. Since then, the theme of folklore and fairytales has become one of the most popular subjects in Hollywood with various well-received projects, including Red Riding Hood and latest blockbuster Snow White and the Huntsman being perfect examples of its popularity amongst viewers.

Here is a list of films that intend to keep the fairytale experience alive.

Jack the Giant Killer

Release Date: March 22, 2013

Jack the Giant Killer is director Bryan Singer’s ambitious re-imagining of the classic fairy tale. Nicholas Hoult stars as farmer-turned-hero Jack, while Eleanor Tomlinson is Isabelle, a princess kidnapped by giants. Singer’s version of the story aims to explore the “real” events that may have inspired the eventual fairy tale.

Pan

Release Date: Possible 2013

Pan is a loose re-imagining of the story in which Aaron Eckhart plays Hook, a detective hunting a serial killer who kidnaps children and Sean Bean plays Hook’s partner, Smee.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

Release Date: January 11, 2013

This action/comedy film from director Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow) fast forward the classic Hansle and Gretel by 15 years, as the two siblings have become witch-killing bounty hunters. Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton play Hansel and Gretel, respectively and Famke Janssen plays the leader of an evil coven of witches.

Pinocchio (Tim Burton version)

Release Date: Unknown

Tim Burton is in negotiations to direct an updated version of the story for Warner Bros. He’s reportedly planning to cast Robert Downey Jr for the role of Geppetto.

Arabian Nights

Release Date: Unknown

Director Chuck Russell seems to be the only modern director willing to delve into these series. Arabian Nights will reportedly star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as Sinbad, Liam Hemsworth as a military commander, and Anthony Hopkins as the sorcerer Pharotu. In addition to Johnson’s Sinbad, other Arabian Nights characters like Aladdin, for instance, are also slated to appear. And, naturally, the movie will be shot in 3D.

Maleficent

Release Date: March 14, 2014

The Sleeping Beauty tale is told from the perspective of the princess’ evil nemesis, Maleficent. Angelina Jolie will star as the title role, while Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora.

Pinocchio (Guillermo del Toro version)

Release Date: 2014

Guillermo del Toro is also attached to direct a separate retelling of Pinocchio. However, unlike Burton’s film, this version will be filmed in stop-motion 3D. Daniel Radcliffe is reportedly involved, and del Toro also voiced his interest in having Christopher Walken voice the mischievous fox character.

Beauty

Release Date: Unknown

Guillermo del Toro is slated to direct Beauty, a new take on the popular Beauty and the Beast story for Warner Bros. According to grapevine, this would be Emma Watson’s first big role since the Harry Potter series wrapped up.

Neverland

Release Date: Unknown

Neverland aims to explore the origins of the rivalry between Pan and Captain Hook. The project is being produced by Channing Tatum and his company Iron Horse.

Rise of the Guardians

Release Date: November 21, 2012

The first of these many fairy tale updates to actually hit theatres will be Rise of the Guardians. This 3D animated film is based on the Guardians of Childhood book series. The plot sees characters like Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) and Jack Frost (Chris Pine) clash with the Bogeyman (Jude Law).

Frozen

Release Date: November 27, 2013

Disney’s next big project is Frozen, which is a new take on the story of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. Kristen Bell has signed on to be the voice of the icy villainess. The film has been dated for release late 2013, but the date could easily shift.

Oz the Great and Powerful

Release Date: March 8, 2013

Sam Raimi’s Oz the Great and Powerful explores the origin of the self-proclaimed Wizard of Oz. In fact, it’s meant to serve as a prequel to the classic 1939 film. James Franco stars as charlatan Oscar Diggs, the man who will become Oz. While Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz play the three witches of Oz.

Sleeping Beauty (Lindsay Devlin)

Release Date: Unknown

Disney may be revisiting the Sleeping Beauty story from Maleficent’s point of view, but another potential project would put the focus squarely on Princess Aurora. The key difference in Lindsay Devlin’s script is that Aurora’s story continues after falling victim to the sleep spell. The curse forces her to navigate a twisted dream world.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2012.