Snow White And The Huntsman hasn’t even started filming yet (shooting kicks off in the UK next week), but that didn’t stop the film’s director and cast attending this year’s Con.
The fairytale film’s panel began with an introduction to the work of debut feature (and relatively unknown) director Rupert Sanders.
Three of Sanders’ TV ads (or “commercials” as they’re called here in the States) were screened, giving us an idea of his visual signature. Think gritty, pace-y and impactful.
Better still, Sanders didn’t come to the Con empty handed. He presented a short mood piece that he'd shot in just three days, and had shown to Universal as an example of what he wanted Huntsman to look like.
That footage was mighty impressive, starring unknown actors but featuring some magnificent imagery, including moody forests, knights fighting, and the Evil Queen first bathing in milk and then scattering into crows.
The film’s central cast also joined their director on stage – Kristen Stewart (Snow White), Charlize Theron (Evil Queen), Chris Hemsworth (Huntsman) and Sam Claflin (Prince Charmant).
Despite having only just met (they caught a plane to the Con together), the cast had clearly already gelled and boasted fantastic chemistry, trading non-stop banter throughout the panel (Hemsworth said he was going to call Clalflin Snow White during filming).
Theron was on particularly fine form, telling Stewart: “I’m ready bitch, let’s go.” Clearly she was already in character.
As if all that wasn’t enough, five images were shown of the film’s cast in costume – including a look at the eight, rough, “East End” dwarves, and Stewart in battle armour as a very un-Disney Snow White.
“It’s an emotional and visual ride,” said Sanders of the film. At this early stage, both the assembled cast and the mood piece bode very well for what should turn out to be a very dark, rich fairytale update.
