Red Hoods, Dark Woods Part IV: Happily Ever After

'Snow, Glass, Apples' by Julie Dillon
With Hardwicke trailblazing modernised fairytales for teen horror audiences, it is safe to assume that more will soon follow suit – think of what Twilight did for romanticising vampires and making them appealing to maudlin teenagers. Love it or loathe it, its influence on popular culture is undeniable. Fans of Twilight no doubt flocked to Hardwicke’s latest offering.
A number of Hollywood horror-tinged adaptations of fairytales are actually already in the works. Amongst them is the Julia Roberts starring Mirror Mirror, with Roberts tipped to play the Evil Queen. Directed by Tarsem Singh (The Cell), the film is a dark twist on the classic fairytale, in which Snow White and the seven dwarfs look to reclaim their destroyed kingdom. Another film that refigures the tale of Snow White, with Snow White leading the charge into battle, is Snow White and the Huntsman, starring Kristen Stewart as Snow White, and Chris Hemsworth as the huntsman sent to kill her and bring her heart back to the Evil Queen (Charlize Theron). Also forthcoming is Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters; set '15 years after' their traumatic encounter with a cannibalistic witch in a gingerbread-house, siblings Hansel and Gretel have grown up to become a formidable team of bounty hunters who track and kill witches the world over. 

So when you’re off to visit Grandma, or just going to the videoshop; take care. Stick to the path. Don’t talk to strangers. And beware the full moon… Fairytale horrors are here to stay.

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