Old Fairytales Made Into Badass Movies

Remember when Hansel and Gretel were just two innocent children who walked into the wrong house, it turns out their story now goes further.   After the siblings roasted a blind witch in her own oven, they've grown to become witch hunters who will stop at nothing to rid the world of the foul creatures.  The trailer for Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters was just released and I must say it looks rather good, the trailer by the way can be found at the link I just posted in this sentence.  Doesn't it seem as though a lot of our family friendly fairy tales are now being retold with a darker and more PG-13 feel or is it just me?  Earlier this year it was Snow White and the Huntsman, which was a decent film by the way, with its more ready for battle princess and a darker witch.  Now we have Hansel and Gretel coming out in January 2013.  Whats next?  Will we have Cinderella with a gatlin gun, fighting off her evil stepmother that's now turned into a massive serpent?  I'd probably see the film if it existed, but Cinderella isn't going to be gracing the screen anytime soon.

Angelina Jolie as Maleficent

I'm sure some of you are curious as to what's on the horizon for the fairytale.  Well if you must know, Maleficent is in the works; a retelling of sleeping beauty from her arch nemesis's point of view, Angelina Jolie is playing the title character.  Maleficent won't be released until 2014 but I do know that there are other fairytales in the works and will be here way before 2013 is done and over with.  Jack the Giant Killer is set to be released next spring, based on the book of the same name.  The story doesn't seem too be going into darker territory and looks like its staying true to the actual story, but its too soon to tell.  There is a trailer if you care to check it out here. 

Nicholas Hoult playing J

Beauty and the Beast is even getting another chance, this time in live action with Guillermo del Toro in the director's chair and Emma Watson playing the beauty.  Its set to be released next year with a darker version than we're used to based on del Toro's track record as a storyteller.  No trailer or website is set for this, or even a description of whats to come, but I'm sure we'll get a good story, just by whose involved.

Even Peter Pan is getting a shot at the big screen once again, or should I say twice again.  Both projects, still under than name Pan, are two very different stories.  The first story is an origin story of all of the popular characters, Aaron Eckhart and Sean Bean are playing Captain Hook and Smee.  The second film is actually a total flip from the original.  Pan is now the villain in this modern-day murder mystery; he's now a killer with a youthful appearance who abducts small children, a far cry from how we typically see the character.

I enjoy seeing a retelling of a film or just another point of view, it gives us another look at a story we've either forgotten, never knew existed, or was lost within our youthful minds.  The difference's between what kids see now and how they'll remember the character's is a far more darker version than the Disney friendly version that I grew up with, but at least the stories will still live on.