Julia Roberts has landed the role of the evil queen in Relativity Media's updated version of "Snow White."
Relativity has described the movie as a "new … and modernized spin on the original classic fairy tale." Writer Melisa Wallack, whose best-known previous work was writing and co-directing 2007's indie film "Bill," starring Aaron Eckhart.
Bernie Goldman, Brett Ratner and Ryan Kavanaugh will produce. Relativity’s Tucker Tooley is executive producer.
Another Oscar-winning beauty, Charlize Theron is playing the Evil Queen in another Snow White film — Universal's "Snow White and the Huntsman."
In that movie, Viggo Mortensen plays the huntsman, who is ordered to kill Snow White but instead becomes her protector and mentor. Kristen Stewart plays Snow White.
Read Relativity's Press release below:
Relativity Media has closed a deal with Oscar®-winner Julia Roberts to play the Queen in its upcoming untitled Snow White feature, based on the Brothers Grimm story, directed by Tarsem Singh (Immortals, The Cell).
Pre-production has begun, and principal photography will start in April. The theatrical release date is set for June 29, 2012.
Relativity's Snow White, a retelling of one of the most beloved fables of all-time, will eschew the traditional story in favor of a more modern tale full of comedy and adventure. After her evil stepmother kills her father and destroys the kingdom, Snow White bands together with a gang of seven quarrelsome dwarfs to reclaim what is rightly hers. The script was written by Melissa Wallack (Meet Bill) and Jason Keller (Machine Gun Preacher).
The film's producers are Ryan Kavanaugh (The Fighter), Bernie Goldmann (300) and Brett Ratner (Rush Hour franchise). The executive producers are Tucker Tooley (The Fighter), Jeff Waxman (Immortals), Tommy Turtle (Immortals), Jamie Marshall (Immortals), Josh Pate (Friday Night Lights) and John Cheng (Horrible Bosses).
Relativity’s CEO Ryan Kavanaugh commented, "Julia was our first and only choice to play the Queen. She is an icon, and we know that she will make this role her own in a way that no one else could.”
Relativity currently has Golden Globe®-winner and seven-time Oscar®-nominee The Fighter in theatres, via Paramount Pictures, starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo and Amy Adams as well as Golden Globe®-winner and eight-time Oscar®-nominee The Social Network via its partnership with Sony Pictures. Relativity’s 2011 slate also includes current release Season of the Witch starring Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman. The hilarious Take Me Home Tonight debuts on March 4th starring Topher Grace and Anna Faris. Following on March 18th, is the much-anticipated Limitless, starring Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish and Oscar®-winner Robert De Niro. Relativity recently announced its acquisition of the Untitled David R. Ellis 3D Shark Thriller which will release in theatres on September 2nd. Finally on November 11th, 2011 is Immortals starring Henry Cavill, Stephen Dorff, Isabel Lucas, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans, Kellan Lutz, with John Hurt and Mickey Rourke.
