Kristen Stewart And The Battle Of The Snow Whites

Will the darling of teen vampire romance be the next fairy tale heroine? Rumors have it that Kristen Stewart (that’s right, Bella of the Twilight Saga), is a major contender for the role of Snow White in Snow White and the Huntsman, a contemporary “re-imagining” of the classic fairy tale.

According to Deadline, Stewart is leading young starlets in the race for this part, and rumors of her involvement are persistent. Viggo Mortenson was recently attached to the lead male role. Interestingly, it is rumored that filmmakers were interested in Michael Fassbender for this role, but he is now committed to a part in Prometheus, the Ridley Scott sci fi film. Charlize Theron is in place to play the evil queen, so the addition of Stewart to the cast will potentially be yet another feather in the cap for this Universal Pictures production.

Snow White happens to be the flavor of the day. At least three different Snow White films-to-be are floating around Hollywood. Each seems to be racing for the gold, and if they are all released around the same time there will be an epic Battle of the Snow Whites.

Universal Pictures has high hopes for Snow White and the Huntsman. They evidently plunked down a lot of cash for a screenplay by Evan Daughtery (a relatively new and upcoming screenwriter). The story revolves around Snow White and her relationship with the Huntsman as more of a tutor/protector. He will not be the love interest, which leaves room to speculate who will play the prince (as there must be a prince). With Joe Roth of Alice in Wonderland producing, and Rupert Sanders to direct (he’s known for some sleek commercials), it should make an impression.

The competition is Relativity Media’s The Brother’s Grimm: Snow White (working title). This is also being touted as a sort of revisionist telling of the classic. Melissa Wallack’s screenplay centers on a Snow White trying to reclaim her kingdom from the evil queen with the help of seven dwarves. Deadline has it that Relativity is courting Julia Roberts for the role of the evil queen. On tap to direct is Tarsem Singh. Singh directed The Cell and most recently Immortals. If one takes his past films as any indication, this Snow White will be highly artistic and a visual feast for the eyes.

A third Snow White version is supposedly in the works by Disney. It’s the farthest behind as far as production and casting, with Snow White and the Huntsman in the lead as it circles in on nabbing Stewart as its princess. Less is known of the live-action Disney remake (probably a darker re-imagining like the others). Or perhaps it takes off in the strangest direction, say, oh I don’t know, Asia? That’s right, sources at Buzzsugar have the remake taking place in Hong Kong in the 1800s. A young British girl discovers it is her destiny to fight some big bad evil, and to prepare her for this journey are…wait for it…seven Shaolin monks. I’m not sure what else I can say about it. If these rumors are true, then I’m cringing a little inside for Disney.

Let the battle commence. And though no release dates have been issued for these films, pundits guesstimate they’ll elbow each other into theatres late in 2011 or sometime in 2012.