Walt Disney Productions continues to churn out fairy tale films, as has long been their bread and butter, but a new live-action picture comes with a bit of a twist. The studio originally had plans to launch a Rose Red film with a script by Justin Merz, but that plan has changed slightly thanks to a new pitch from screenwriter Evan Daugherty (Snow White and the Huntsman, The Huntsman: Winter's War). Though the original script focused squarely on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale character Rose Red, this new take casts her as Snow White's estranged sister in a story that reimagines both of the classic stories.

As THR reports, this revisionist story will add Rose Red into the well-known tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs with the aim of making her a lead character who plays a pivotal role in the latter half of the narrative. When Snow White is cursed into unconsciousness after biting a poison apple, her estranged sister Rose Red is forced to undertake a quest with the Dwarves to find a way to break the curse and bring Snow White back to life.


Image via Disney[/caption]

This angle is interesting for a number of reasons. First, the Grimm tale "Snow White and Rose Red" is completely unrelated to the classic version of Snow White that everyone knows and focuses on two sisters--with Rose Red being the more outgoing of the two--who meet a friendly bear, help an unfriendly dwarf, and marry a pair of princely brothers (of course). Second, this blending of fairy tales adds a new wrinkle to Disney's version of Snow White's story and allows them to introduce a new princess into their canon, for all intents and purposes. Finally, this re-imagining is interesting because it gives some agency back to the women in the story. Yes, Snow White might still be unconscious thanks to the poison apple, but rather than wait for a prince to come by and kiss her back to life, Rose Red will likely play more of a proactive role. It sounds interesting, at least. Just don't expect Disney's live-action version to take any inspiration from the Zenescope Entertainment Grimm Fairy Tales comics.


Image via Disney[/caption]