Disney has released the first image of Academy Award winning-actress Meryl Streep as the witch in its upcoming film adaptation of the Broadway musical Into the Woods.
Into the Woods started shooting in September in the UK, and according to Disney’s blog, will arrive in theaters on December 25, 2014.
The movie is a modern twist on several Grimm Brothers fairytales, and will be directed by Rob Marshall. Marshall is best known as director of 2002’s multiple Academy Award-winning musical film Chicago.
Into the Woods will combine story lines from beloved fairytales such as Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel. Streep will be joined by other big name stars: Johnny Depp as The Wolf, Anna Kendrick as Cinderella, and Chris Pine as Cinderella’s Prince.
Tying the various fairytales together is an interweaving story line about a childless baker and his wife (played by James Corden and Emily Blunt) who set out to end a curse placed on them by Streep’s witch.
Sophia Grace Brownlee was originally cast to play Little Red Riding Hood, but dropped out over concerns that she was too young for the role. As Esther Zuckerman pointed out in the Atlantic Wire, the Broadway version of Into the Woods features some degree of sexual undertones between Red Riding Hood and the Wolf.
Dominic Brownlee addressed the decision regarding his daughter on Twitter earlier in September.
It was a joint decision between us and the director and producer of "Into the woods" to withdraw Sophia Grace from the film.
— Dominic Brownlee (@DominicBrownlee) September 16, 2013
After careful consideration we the parents of Sophia Grace felt that as rehearsals progressed that she was too young for this part.
— Dominic Brownlee (@DominicBrownlee) September 16, 2013
Brownlee was replaced by Lilla Crawford.
The Broadway version of Into the Woods features music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The musical premiered in 1987, and Sondheim and James Lapine followed it up with a picture book adaptation in 1993. Lapine wrote the screen play for the upcoming film production.
Image via Facebook.