New versions of Snow White and Jack & The Beanstalk planned

Disney’s long been trying to get a controversial, martial arts flavoured take on the classic Snow White tale off the drawing board. And now, the company seems to have found the man to tackle the job.

Constantine director Francis Lawrence is packing up his bundle and heading east to make Snow And The Seven, a fantasy adventure that finds a British girl being raised in 19th century Hong Kong. Discovering that her destiny is to lay the smack down on an evil force, Snow hooks up with seven Shaolin monks who, instead of singing and mining, are all about the kicking of the arse.

Scott Moore and Jon Lucas have bashed out the current draft of the script, with Lawrence and Disney looking to start filming early next year in China. Oh, and Matrix fight expert Yuen Woo-ping will be making sure the killing blows are up to snuff.

Also on the books is a new version of Jack And The Beanstalk. Katey Sagal, Wallace Shawn, Chevy Chase, Christopher Lloyd and comedian Gilbert Gottfried have all signed on to the low-budget comedy. There’s not much updated about the new film – it’ll still feature young Jack (Colin Ford)’s adventures with magic beans, a troublesome giant (the producers want James Earl Jones to provide his voice) and a golden goose.

Gary J Tunnicliffe is already calling the shots on a soundstage in LA.

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