Two competing  Snow White re-imaginings -- Relativity Media's The Brothers Grimm: Snow White and Universal's Snow White and the Huntsman -- have sparked casting rumors for a few months now.  Back in October, Tom Hardy (Inception) was rumored to play Eric the Huntsman in Snow White and the Huntsman with Charlize Theron set to star as the Snow White’s evil stepmother.  Meanwhile, Relativity was circling Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, and Anne Hathaway for The Brothers Grimm: Snow White.

New casting rumors have surfaced for both films tonight.  One links Julia Roberts to The Brothers Grimm.  The other links Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds) to Huntsman and reveals Universal's shortlist to play Snow White: Riley Keough (The Runaways), Felicity Jones (The Tempest), Bella Heathcoat (Neighbours), and Alicia Vikander (Beloved).  Details after the jump.

Deadline is reporting that Julia Roberts is being courted to play the Evil Queen in The Brothers Grimm: Snow White.  The report is brief, and there is no reference to just how much she returns the interest.

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Meanwhile, Heat Vision reports that Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds) is the front-runner to play the woodsman in Snow White and the Hunstsman.  Universal is continuing talks with Theron to star in the film, and considering their options for the lead role.  The studio first leaned toward a name actress, like Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning or Saoirse Ronan.  But now the unknowns -- Keough, Jones, Heathcoat, and Vikander -- are gaining favor.  Screen tests will be held over the next few days.

Here is a recap of  the three Snow White films in development:

Snow White and the Seven

  • housed at Disney
  • the dwarves are repurposed as “Shaolin fighting monks”
  • appears to be the furthest along the pipeline

Snow White and the Huntsman

  • housed at Universal
  • Joe Roth will produce;  Rupert Sanders is attached to direct
  • Evan Daugherty’s screenplay gives the Huntsman an expanded role where he becomes chained to Snow White for part of the story and acts as a mentor figure, teaching the teen girl how to fight and survive

The Brothers Grimm: Snow White

  • housed at Relativity Media
  • Brett Ratner will produce the Melisa Wallack script; Tarsem Singh has been offered the director’s chair
  • intended to be in 3D

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We haven’t heard much about Snow White and the Seven, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it got put on hold after news of The Brothers Grimm: Snow White and Snow White and the Huntsman being so close to starting production got out.  What will be interesting now to see is if one of these two films backs down after the other one beats it to a starting date, or if production on both films will actually go through since they both seem ready to start filming soon.

This news follows the latest trend of similar films in Hollywood competing with each other for the earlier release date.  Earlier this year, we reported on the news that Doug Liman (Mr. and Ms. Smith) planned adaptation of The Three Musketeers was put on indefinite hold after Paul W.S. Anderson’s competing adaptation started production. As of right now, Disney and David Fincher are working on a adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, though Fox also has an adaptation of the classic Jules Verne novel in the works with Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) attached to direct.  Then, we also have various Wizard of Oz projects in the works at different studios, led by Sam Raimi’s Oz the Great and Powerful; the film is set to start filming this summer.

I will say that I’m personally rooting for and I’m more excited about The Brothers Grimm: Snow White purely because of Tarsem’s involvement.  The extremely visual director taking on the classic fairy-tale just sounds like a perfect fit to me.