Viggo Mortensen passed on Snow White and the Huntsman right around the time Hossein Amini entered negotiations to rewrite the script.  I suspect their paths crossed, as in the months since, Amini and Mortensen teamed to develop an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s The Two Faces of January.  The 1964 novel is a suspense thriller that centers on an American con artist, his wife, and a stranger in travelling in Athens.  A source tells 24 Frames Mortensen would assume one of the three starring roles, and this is intended to be the directorial debut of Amini.

Amini wields a powerful calling card right now with Drive — by all accounts from Cannes and LAFF, Drive is amazing.  We peons only have to wait three months for the September 16 theatrical release.  Cronenberg will next be seen playing Sigmund Freud in David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method, assuming it gets the late 2011 release we expect.  The first trailer, released yesterday, is wonderfully deranged.

Read the full synopsis for The Two Faces of January after the break.

The first trailer for director David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method has been released, and it’s fantastic. Based on Christopher Hampton’s 2002 play The Talking Cure, the film centers on the relationship between Carl Jung (played by Michael Fassbender), his mentor Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen), and Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley), the woman who came between them. The trailer is intense, showcasing what are sure to be some powerhouse performances, as well as a score by Howard Shore. Oh, and there’s sex. Lots of sex. This is Cronenberg after all. Sony Pictures Classics is set to release the film, hopefully sometime this year. Hit the jump to watch the trailer for yourself.

More Snow White news today, this one regarding Snow White and the Huntsman. Kristin Stewart is apparently now in negotiations to star in the film as Snow White herself. She would join previously announced Viggo Mortenson (in talks to play the Huntsman) and Charlize Theron (in talks to play the Evil Queen) in the project for Universal. Last week, we reported that Stewart was being courted for the role, and now THR reports that she’s currently in negotiations to star in the film, with both parties involved wanting it to happen.

Commercial director Rupert Sanders is helming the pic, which is said to be more action-oriented with White joining ranks with the Huntsman while on the run from the Evil Queen. She then becomes his protégé, learning to wield a sword and crossbow. For more on all three Snow White projects currently in development, hit the jump.