Director Rupert Sanders joins ReelBlend to discuss his new remake of The Crow, starring Bill Skarsgård and FKA twigs. We discuss whether or not the original film starring Brandon Lee was of any influence, Bill Skarsgård's approach and intense commitment to the role, how they side-stepped the Hollywood system to create a "fierce one-quadrant movie," and more. 

We are off of the main show this week, but stay tuned! We will be back next week with a great show, and our September guest list is already stacking up. You won't want to miss out.

Want More ReelBlend?

Sign up for our premium membership, which includes a bi-weekly newsletter from Sean, and ad-free episodes. Also, be sure to subscribe to ReelBlend on YouTube for full episodes of the show in video form. Finally, we have all kinds of fun merchandise for dedicated Blenders to flaunt their fandom with pride.

As we look ahead to this weekend in new 2024 movies, we may have a dud on our hands with The Crow remake. Just ahead of the adaptation landing in theaters Thursday night, Lionsgate Films lifted the embargo for the Bill Skarsgård-led flick, and critics are not happy with the long-awaited reimagining of James O’Barr’s comic.

Let’s start things off with CinemaBlend’s The Crow review. Our very own Eric Eisenberg gave the movie a dismal 1.5 out of 5 stars, and scratched his head regarding why the remake was even on the books to be made for so long. In his words:

Rupert Sanders’ version of The Crow comes after years and years of Hollywood attempting to bring the character back to the screen following Brandon Lee’s iconic outing in the 1994 movie. In the past, actors such as Mark Wahlberg, Bradley Cooper, Channing Tatum, Ryan Gosling and James McAvoy were all reportedly in the running to be part of prior remakes before this version got off the ground in 2022. After all this time, critics are overall confused about the reason why The Crow was even resurrected. As The Guardian wrote:

Certainly there was going to be comparisons between Skarsgård and Lee as The Crow no matter what, but these thoughts on the remake make it sound like the new release isn’t much fun to experience in theaters. As Rolling Stone quipped about the movie:

It's funny how two critics likened the movie to a perfume commercial, isn’t it? The core plot of the movie is about a murdered musician who is resurrected to avenge his own death and that of his fiancée, played by FKA Twigs. Slashfilm also called the movie “lifeless” when speaking about it as well. As written:

While it’s clear that The Crow did not impress most critics (the movie has already debuted with a 13% Rotten Tomatoes score as of this writing), one critic with Collider has shared a different take on the film. The writer, who notes loving movies like Underworld, Hellboy, Blade and Queen of the Damned (all of the 1990s and 2000s), appreciated the movie for emulating the emo melodrama she was nostalgic for a new generation. As she put it:

Even so, she couldn’t fully endorse the movie for having “shoddy world-building” and “narrative plot holes.” Perhaps there’s still time for The Crow to earn a cult following, but for now, these first words about the movie make it sound like it might be better left skipped.

May we direct you to Zoë Kravitz’s Blink Twice, which critics had a great time with? Both The Crow and Blink Twice are the latest new movies to arrive in theaters this weekend as the summer movie season soon comes to an end.

Some film projects become well known not because of how the final product turned out, but because of how long they languished in development hell. The reboot of 1994’s The Crow is one of those projects. Since the late 2000s, there have been numerous attempts to get a new take on the same-named comic by James O’Barr, with all of them falling apart for one reason or another. Well, evidently now The Crow reboot is back on, and this time the star of the IT movies is attached, along with a director who knows his way around fantastical cinematic storytelling.

According to THR, Bill Skarsgård, arguably best known for playing Pennywise the Dancing Clown in IT and IT Chapter Two, has been tapped Eric Draven in The Crow reboot, the role the late Brandon Lee played that role in the 1994 movie. Furthermore, Rupert Sanders, who helmed Snow White and the Huntsman and Ghost in the Shell, is now sitting in The Crow reboot’s director’s chair, and King Richard’s Zack Baylin is writing the script.

The last time The Crow reboot made any significant progress forward was in summer 2017, when it was announced that Sony Pictures would distribute the incarnation to the project that had Jason Momoa set to play Eric Draven under the direction of Corin Hardy, who’d first been reported to helm the feature back in 2014. The Crow was even slated for an October 11, 2019 release, but by the end of May 2018, it was reported that Momoa and Hardy left the reboot. Luke Evans and Jack Huston are other actors who were attached to play Eric in The Crow earlier in its development, while the list of directors includes Stephen Norrington and Juan Carlos Fresnadillo.

Almost four full years later after Jason Momoa and Corin Hardy’s departures, Bill Skarsgård and Rupert Sanders have reportedly filled their shoes on The Crow. THR also shared that reboot is deep into preproduction and gearing up to shoot in Prague and Munich starting in June. The budget has supposedly landed in the $50 million range. Along with his Pennywise outings, Skarsgård has also starred in Deadpool 2, The Devil All the Time, Eternals and the Hulu series Castle Rock, and he’ll next be seen on the big screen in John Wick: Chapter 4.

Like the original comic book and the 1994 movie directed by Alex Proyas, The Crow reboot will tell the story of Eric Draven, a man who’s murdered alongside his fiancée, Shelley Webster. However, Eric ends up being resurrected a mystical crow and wastes no time seeking revenge on the people who killed him and took the love of his life away from him. Sadly, Brandon Lee was fatally wounded during the filming of the original Crow movie when he was shot with a prop gun that wasn’t properly checked. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum star Mark Dacascos also played Eric in the short-lived The Crow: Stairway to Heaven TV show, and Lee’s Crow movie was followed by three sequels, all of which followed different lead characters.

We’ll just have to wait and see if Bill Skarsgård and Rupert Sanders’ version of The Crow reboot fares better than its predecessors. Until then, keep your eyes locked on CinemaBlend for news on other upcoming movies.

While there are many filmmakers who love to let audiences see all the scenes that didn't quite make it into a feature film, there are also some who aren't big fans of it. It turns out that it's the latter camp in which Ghost In The Shell director Rupert Sanders can be categorized, and during a recent interview I learned why you shouldn't expect any deleted scenes on the movie's soon-to-be-released Blu-ray. Said the director,

The point of view that Rupert Sanders takes on this issue is certainly an arguable one. While deleted scenes can allow audiences to get a sense of the movie that could have been, there is a degree to which any film is created from a director's specific choices. That vision is presumably featured in the final print/theatrical cut, and anything that didn't make it in wound up on the cutting room floor for a reason. Given how some deleted scenes can wind up being very memorable, change perceptions of a finished movie, or not come across in proper context, there's good reason not to reveal them.

Continuing, Rupert Sanders emphasized that while the Ghost In The Shell Blu-ray won't feature any extra sequences, everyone should be sure to check out the behind the scenes material that the project. The documentaries cover the extensive work not only done by the people of Weta Workshop and Weta Digital down in New Zealand, but scores of people in multiple departments who worked hard to make the live-action film a reality. Said Sanders,

The filmmaker made it very clear that he is very proud of the work done by the hundreds of people who worked on Ghost In The Shell, but even went a step further by acknowledging his love of the kind of featurettes you can find on home video releases. In fact, he acknowledged two notable behind-the-scenes looks that have served as inspiration for him as a filmmaker:

Fans will be able to feast their eyes on these special features, as Ghost In The Shell will be available in 4K, 3D, standard Blu-ray and DVD on July 25th - and for those who just want to catch the movie, you can catch it on DigitalHD now!

The casting of Scarlett Johansson as The Major in Ghost In The Shell provoked a furious backlash, as Motoko Kusangi, the lead character in Masamue Shirow's original manga and the legendary 1995 anime that the upcoming blockbuster is based on, was Japanese. At the trailer launch for Ghost In The Shell that was held in Tokyo, which I was lucky to attend alongside other reporters, director Rupert Sanders was quizzed about the furor that surrounded the casting of Scarlet Johansson, and he stood by his decision.

After being asked to respond to the criticism of Scarlett Johansson as The Major in Ghost In The Shell, Rupert Sanders remarked:

It's not surprising in the least that Rupert Sanders feels this way. As he rightfully points out, Scarlett Johansson is the biggest and most bankable actress in the world right now, while she has been a mainstay of the mainstream for the past 15 years after her earliest roles in The Man Who Wasn't There and Ghost World, both of which were released in 2001. But what makes her perfect for Ghost In The Shell is during this time, she has been able to maintain a cyber-punk aesthetic that will lend itself perfectly to this film.

This is something that Rupert Sanders himself touched upon while at Ghost In The Shell's trailer launch in Tokyo. When asked why Scarlett Johansson was the perfect choice to play The Major in his version of the film, Sanders insisted that there are "very few actresses with 20 years experience with the cyber-punk aesthetic baked in," which Johansson has acquired because of her work in "edgy" films like Lost In Translation and Under The Skin. Sanders also went on to praise Johansson's attitude and toughness, which he immediately recognized as traits needed for The Major, too.

Over the weekend we got our first proper glimpse of Scarlett Johansson in action as The Major in Ghost In The Shell, too, as its trailer was released to a rapturous response from eager movie fans. You can remind yourself why by clicking below to watch the footage.

Of course it would be remiss not to mention the white-washing issues that have so far dogged Ghost In The Shell's production. Unfortunately Rupert Sanders comments don't do too much to dismiss these concerns. That's because we understand why Scarlett Johansson has been cast to lead Ghost In The Shell, but the question remains, because the 1995 anime was so distinctly and proudly Japanese, whether she should have been. While Sanders' version appears to have dropped the character name of Motoko Kusangi, as Johansson's character is simply referred to as The Major, Ghost In The Shell is still set in a futuristic Tokyo, uses Japanese iconography, and the trailer featured so any similar shots from Mamoru Oshii's anime that a side-by-side comparison piece has been released, all of which proves that the upcoming film is still heavily inspired and borrows from its source material, which is a seminal piece of Japanese pop culture. Except it seems when it comes to its leading characters, though, as its protagonist (Scarlett Johansson's The Major), main supporting character (Pilou Asbaek's Batou), and villain (Michael Pitt's Kuze) are all white.

Throughout the event in Tokyo, Rupert Sanders made sure to discuss that Ghost In The Shell had more of an international flavor than its predecessors. Plus, it would be wrong to come to a firm conclusion regarding the whitewashing claims made against Ghost In The Shell without seeing the final film, too, which the trailer suggests will be full of captivating visuals, impressive action, and a probing psychological quandary to keep it bouncing. We'll get to see if the film can answer these problems sufficiently when Ghost In The Shell is released on March 31, 2017.

An American remake of the anime classic Ghost in the Shell is a project that has been brewing damn near forever. Though it looked like it was never going to get made, momentum has been rolling right along recently. They have a director, a release date, a big time star in Scarlett Johansson, and now the movie even has its very own villain.

Based on the 1995 film, which itself is based on Masamune Shirow’s 1989 manga of the same name, Ghost in the Shell is one of the most popular, influential anime properties of all time. Dreamworks has been working on an American remake for years, and now Deadline reports that they’ve found another key piece of the puzzle, as Sam Riley is in early talks to play the main antagonist. There’s no hard and fast deal in place just yet, though both sides reportedly want this to get done.

Riley has played a couple of real-life iconoclasts in recent films, playing Jack Kerouac in an adaptation of On the Road and Joy Division front man Ian Curtis in Control. The British actor’s highest profile role to date has been in Maleficent, though he’ll be seen shorty in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Should he sign on for Ghost in the Shell, he will play The Laughing Man, a fanatical extremist and hacker trying to take down a massive robotics company called Hanka Robotics. Scarlett Johansson plays the hero, a special forces cyborg who leads the elite law enforcement unit Section 9, devoted to taking down the most dangerous criminals—they also happen to be employed by Hanka. No conflict of interest there.

It’s going to be really interesting to see how much of the dense thematic framework in Ghost in the Shell translates or at least survives the adaptation. Visually, the original is a hugely influential film—you can see the obvious imprint in the Wachowski’s Matrix movies for example—and there are themes of sexual and gender identity, technology run amok, and many more that are just as prescient and important today as they ever were, perhaps even more so.

Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) will handle the directing duties, while the latest version of the script is coming from an unlikely source, Jonathan Herman, who penned this summer’s surprise hit NWA biopic, Straight Outta Compton. Preproduction is rolling along right now, and they movie also recently added Johansson’s Lucy co-star Pilou Asbaek to the roster.

Assuming the whole thing doesn’t fall apart between now and then, Ghost in the Shell is scheduled to open March 31, 2017.

We haven’t heart a lot on that Ghost in the Shell movie, a live-action adaptation of the Japanese anime. Scarlett Johansson, who’s been kicking ass and taking names in the Avengers movies and Lucy, was reportedly offered a whopping $10 million to take the lead role a while ago, but now it looks like that has been finalized.

According to Variety, the project isn’t officially greenlit, but ScarJo is on board. That alone means it’ll likely get the go-ahead any day now. Who can say no to one of the biggest actresses working in Hollywood today? Plus, the project already has Steven Spielberg backing it; he’s been wanting to make this movie happen for some time. With Rupert Sanders of Snow White and the Huntsman in the director’s chair, DreamWorks has just about everything in place.

A Ghost in the Shell live-action movie has been in the works for some time, but has hit a number of snags along the way. The story focuses on a member of a special covert ops unit within the Japanese National Public Safety Commission. ScarJo already has experience playing a member of a secret organization fighting to keep the world safe, but this one focuses on technology-related crime. The property was first published back in 1989 by one of the largest Japanese publishing companies, Kodansha, and it has since generated three anime movies, an anime TV and three video games. The 1995 anime flick was pretty Matrix-y, as it took place in the future and followed a cyborg cop named Motoko Kusanagi who is tasked with tracking down a cyber-terrorist called The Puppet Master. It was a hit in the US, and now all that’s missing from this franchise is the live-action version.

Margot Robbie was said to be in talks for the leading role earlier this year, but this character was tailor made for Johansson. From her voice acting role as the A.I. in Her to her butt-kicking heroines, it seems like all her steps have been leading up to this. The great thing about Ghost in the Shell is that, like many adaptations, it already has a built-in audience with the right mix of elements — mainly action, sci-fi and sex appeal — to also bring in fresh viewers. Considering how beloved this world is by anime lovers, perhaps this will transform into the next big movie franchise.

Until Ghost in the Shell gets the green light, we won’t get a sense of the production schedule. Though, Johansson has a couple big projects lined up, including the Coen Brothers’ Hail, Caesar and The Jungle Book, not to mention her Marvel commitments. Still, with the promise of $10 million, she’s got some incentive to fit this in.

Twenty-five years ago, the world was first introduced to Masamune Shirow's iconic cyberpunk manga Ghost In The Shell. Not only was this story of futuristic police work turned into an equally iconic animated film in 1995, it's also spawned a sequel and television series that have kept the legacy going through until about 2006. We nearly saw the next step in Ghost In The Shell's evolution in 2008, with Dreamworks SKG owning the rights to the eventually long delayed live-action adaptation. Leave it to Scarlett Johansson to save the day, as she's now the franchise's latest/best hope.

Deadline is reporting that Johansson is being offered $10 million to star as Major Motoko Kusanagi, the film's "augmented-cybernetic human" lead character. As a member of the elite task force Section 9, Major Kusanagi faces terrorists and thugs on the cyber warfare front of a futuristic cyberpunk version of Japan. With lush visuals and a healthy dose of science fiction, Ghost In The Shell has the makings of a four quadrant hit.

This offer was made after the previous choice for the role, The Wolf Of Wall Street's Margo Robbie, decided to pull out of consideration for the – all thanks to a competing offer to star as part of DC's potential 2016 money maker Suicide Squad. Strangely enough, this could possibly reteam Robbie with her Focus co-star Will Smith, who's also being sought after for that same picture. As far as weighing her options goes, Robbie seems to have traded up in the world, considering she still only has one major picture to her name.

The trade off from Margo Robbie to Scarlett Johansson is somewhat of an equal trade, as Robbie's "it factor" would make Ghost In The Shell a great "little engine that could" story. However, Johansson's legacy factor as an ass kicker, as well as her newly upgraded box office clout after the success that was Lucy, makes for an equally (if not slightly improved) outlook for the film's prospect as a hit. It also would provide Scarlett Johansson a possible exit strategy/promotion from her current gig at Marvel as Natasha Romanov/Black Widow.

With Rupert Sanders looking to recover after the fallout of personal and professional proportions experienced during Snow White And The Huntsman, and Johansson's name possibly filling the marquee, it's quite possible that we'll be seeing Ghost In The Shell's prospects rise from modest success to full blown summer tentpole picture soon. Should this go off the way that Dreamworks hopes it will, it will not only be a nice win for the studio, but it will also be a great goal for Scarlett Johansson, and could put her in line for even more prime starring gigs.

Ghost In The Shell doesn't have a production schedule as of yet, but that'll probably change quickly in either direction, depending on Johansson's decision.

Coverage of the Twilight/ Snow White And The Huntsman cheating scandal has calmed down quite a bit since it blasted across the front page of damn near every newspaper in the country back in July of 2012. Everyone involved can now go about their business without an army of observers hurling questions about what the hell happened, but that doesn’t mean everything has simply gone back to normal. Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart have had well-publicized problems in the time since, and Rupert Sanders and Liberty Ross wound up ending their sixteen year relationship, which the model talked on record about for the first time this week.

Speaking to Vanity Fair, Ross admitted she only found out her husband had cheated twenty hours before the paparazzi pictures emerged. She had no idea how big of a story it would be or how much it would upend her life, but luckily, her brother, Academy Award winning composer Atticus Ross, really stepped up. He hired a publicist for his sister through his friend/ legendary music producer Jimmy Iovine, and he found a place for Liberty and the kids to stay that would be away from the prying eyes of photographers.

Unfortunately, no amount of positive thinking could save the marriage. She was too emotionally spent and upset about what happened to give anything more, but in the time since, she’s supposedly forgiven her husband and started focusing on the sixteen good years they spent together and more importantly, the two children they co-created. Had everything occurred outside the public eye where it could have been calmly talked through, maybe it all would have been different, but in the eye of the storm, every single emotion was heightened even more.

Pop Blend’s sincerest thoughts go out to Ross. Here’s to hoping she continues moving past the devastation of what happens and is able to find true happiness with her children.

Image Credit: Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

Newly minted film director Rupert Sanders has had a pretty incredible year with some major highs and lows. A celebrated director of television commercials, Sanders made his feature debut this past June with Universal Pictures' big budget action adventure Snow White and the Huntsman. While critics—myself included—panned the film for its nonsensical plot and dour execution, the CGI-stuffed reimagining of the classic fairy tale went on to earn nearly $400 million dollars worldwide. So, Sanders' first film was a success for Universal, and plans for a sequel were in the works within weeks of its opening weekend.

Things were looking up for Sanders, and his leading lady Kristen Stewart, who showed she had box office drawing power outside of the Twilight franchise - but then those photos hit. The scandal that followed was fast and furious with Stewart bearing the brunt of the bad press. In August, while rumors arose that Universal might dump their in-the-works Snow White sequel, Sanders was still attached to the project. But now, Radar Online says Stewart is signed on for the sequel, but Sanders is definitely out.

Their source claims Sanders bowed out of the project "because he is desperately still trying to save his marriage," but it's worth pointing out that Sanders has been offered other projects, which may just seem more appealing after all that's gone down. Despite the bad press Sanders and Stewart's affair brought on, Universal hasn't burned their bridges with the helmer, and as of last month it was said the studio was considering him for their Tom Cruise-fronted Van Helsing reboot. Just days later, Sanders signed on to direct a science fiction tinged romance called The Juliet for Sony. Production on that film is set to begin in the spring, so it's possible that Sanders' schedule won't allow for him to helm the second Snow White.

The Snow White And The Huntsman sequel is expected to go into production late next year. Universal is reportedly on the hunt for a new director.

Director Rupert Sanders made Universal Pictures a lot of money this summer -his film Snow White and the Huntsman bringing in $396 million internationally - and while the critics didn't love what he had to offer and there was the controversial affair with Kristen Stewart, Hollywood is still totally motivated by money. So, naturally, Sanders has been getting his fair share of job offers. Less than a week ago there was a rumor saying the filmmaker was up to direct Tom Cruise in the upcoming Van Helsing reboot and today there's word his circling a gig at Sony.

Deadline has learned that Sanders has agreed to direct The Juliet, a science-fiction romance story. The film is based on a short story by Alfred Bester and is set in a "near futuristic science fiction landscape." There appear to be few details about the plot online, but given the title one can imagine it has some connection to William Shakespeare's most famous work. Sony and New Regency are teaming up to both finance and distribute the movie and plan to start production next spring .Henry Bean, who wrote epsiodes of the Steven Soderbergh series K Street as well as Basic Instinct 2, wrote the script.

It should be noted that the site's report doesn't include mention of the Van Helsing reboot, but if this story is true then it's unlikely Sanders will be doing the vampire hunter movie next (if he is attached). If The Juliet starts production on time that means Sanders would have only five months to make Van Helsing. Something tells me the studio wouldn't be too happy with that.

Most of the fallout from the Kristen Stewart cheating scandal has centered on the actress and her boyfriend Rob Pattinson, but it took another for the star to make her mistake. Rupert Sanders, her forty-one-year-old director from Snow White and the Huntsman, is very much married, and immediately following the release of Stewart’s apology statement, he offered his own.

You can take a look at his I’m-sorry, courtesy of People, below…

Sanders’ wife, model Liberty Ross, also offered her own take on what happened, though her words weren’t vetted by a publicist. She tweeted “sometimes bad things fall apart so better things can fall together” before quickly deleting her Twitter account.

There are no winners here, only losers. Pattinson must now decide whether or not to stay with Stewart after her very public mistake, and Sanders’ wife must now decide whether it’s in the family’s best interests to try and make it work. Whatever paths they pick, Pop Blend wishes all involved happiness and strength. It’s not easy having your dirty laundry made public, and it’s certainly not easy when it’s the entire world finding out as opposed to a group of friends.

Nearly a year before the movie even came out the folks behind Universal's Snow White and the Huntsman were talking about the film as the first of a franchise. In an interview producer Joe Roth - who also worked on Disney's Alice in Wonderland - said that the idea was to have Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron return for a trilogy of movies as the Snow White, The Huntsman, and Ravenna, respectively. Now the movie has been released and the story hasn't changed.

According to Deadline, Universal has already hired David Koepp to write the script for a sequel and have entered talks with director Rupert Sanders to have him return for the second feature. The site says that Sanders is excited by the prospect of coming back, but isn't contractually obligated as the script was won at auction with the director part of the package deal. This means that if the studio wants him back bad enough he can make them pay. While the first film, which was only released in theaters one week ago, didn't do terribly well with critics, it had a surprisingly solid first weekend, pulling in $56 million over three days. Factoring in international markets, the movie has already made $118 million globally, but still needs to perform well in coming weeks to make back its $170 million budget. This week it sees a challenge in Ridley Scott's Prometheus and Madagascar 3.

David Koepp is known for being a go-to guy for blockbusters. In his career he's written scripts including Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible, Spider-Man, Panic Room, War of the Worlds, Angels and Demons and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. His latest directorial effort, Premium Rush, arrives in theaters this August.

If 2011 was the year of sex buddies, with both No Strings Attached and Friends With Benefits coming out in the calendar year, then 2012 is set to be the year of Snow White. As we’ve noted over the past few months, both Relativity Media and Universal Pictures have versions of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale coming out next year, but if the past week has taught us anything, as trailers for both films have been released, it’s that the two movies couldn’t be any more different.

First, let’s take a gander at the preview for the Rupert Sanders-directed Snow White and the Huntsman, courtesy of Apple:

As you can see, the tone in this film is incredibly dark (as are the visuals). The movie doesn’t so much look like a fairy tale as it does a Lord of the Rings-style action/adventure movie. There’s some black magic at play, some killer special effects and Charlize Theron looks terrifying.

Now here’s the trailer for Tarsem Singh’s Mirror, Mirror, which comes to us thanks to Yahoo!

Whether it succeeds or not is up to the viewer’s opinion, but Singh’s version seems to be more of a comedy and is much brighter and cheerful. Julia Roberts’ Evil Queen seems to have malicious agenda, but comes across as more silly than “evil.” Unlike Kristen Stewart, who is warrior mode in the first trailer, Lily Collins looks more like a Disney princess come to life.

But here’s the question: which Snow White movie will end up taking the box office?

One of the most important factors to take into account is the release date. Mirror Mirror is set to drop on March 16th of next year which, coincidentally (not really), is quite close to the weekend when Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland was released (and that movie ended up making over a billion dollars at the global box office. As for competition, the film is going up against the R-rated action film 21 Jump Street, which probably won’t steal a big chunk of the key audience, but the next week is a killer: Gary Ross’ The Hunger Games.

Scheduled for the first week of June, Snow White and the Huntsman faces similar challenges. The movie is sandwiched between Men in Black III and Prometheus and shares a weekend with Rock of Ages. As it’s going to be with all blockbusters released next summer, Sanders’ movie is going to have to open huge in its opening weekend and then just hope to stick around in the #2 and #3 spots in the following weeks.

Next let’s take a peek at demographics and star appeal. Judging by the trailer, Mirror will be skewing much younger than Huntsman, which could mean padded ticket sales from parents having to accompany their kids into the theater, a benefit the latter film won’t have. In terms of the big names, however, it’s really up in the air. While Julia Roberts use to be one of the biggest box office draws in the universe, her name doesn’t hold the same weight that it used to (case in point: Larry Crowne opened at #4). In that same respect, Huntsman is also a question mark. While the studio hopes that Stewart will be able to bring over some of the Twilight brood, her co-stars in those films, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, haven’t exactly had success in that area, so it’s hard to say if she will.

Lastly, we have fan reaction and actual interest. When the trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman debuted it was met with some enthusiasm and surprise, as few really knew what to expect from the movie. Conversely, since the trailer dropped online Mirror, Mirror has been the butt of jokes all around the internet. Seriously, do a search for “Mirror, Mirror” on Twitter and you’ll understand what I mean.

But enough with the analysis, I want to know what you think. Which Snow White movie do you think will be best? Which one do you think will perform better at the box office? Which one do you plan on going to see? Take our poll below and leave your thoughts about the two films in the comments section below.

This poll is no longer available.

One of the biggest battles of 2012 will be between Universal Studios and Relativity Media. As we’ve been reporting all year, both film companies have their own takes on the Snow White fairy tale coming out during the 12 month stretch. We’ve already seen the studios butt heads over release dates – Relativity pushing Tarsem Singh’s Untitled Snow White project up to March 16th while Universal has Rupert Sanders’Snow White and the Huntsman dated for June 1st – but what if the characters themselves went head to head?

Early this morning the first images from Singh’s version of the Grimm fairy tale came online and when looking at the Snow White and the Huntsman images from Comic Con, I got to thinking: how would Kristen Stewart’s princess do against Lily Collins’? Could Armie Hammer kick Chris Hemsworth’s ass? What would be the result of a battle between Charlize Theron and Julia Roberts? Below you will find my complete breakdown.

Battle of the Snow Whites: Kristen Stewart vs. Lily Collins

Looking at these two images, I know exactly what you’re thinking: “Eric, one of these young ladies is wielding a sword and shield while the other is sitting pretty in a fluffy blue dress. This is a no brainer.” To that I say not so fast. Stewart may have the equipment (the sword is actually below the picture), but Collins has the numbers. Stewart looks all sad and alone in that photo because she has no friends, meanwhile the bright and shiny, happy-looking princess is surrounded by seven dwarfs that are clearly a little off kilter. Hell, Mickey from Seinfeld has a battle helmet on and one of the dudes in the back clearly murdered and decided to wear a ferocious beast. Plus, that big fluffy dress would be pretty damn hard to stab.

Battle of the Dashing Hero: Chris Hemsworth vs. Armie Hammer

Now things are getting a little interesting. These are both strapping young men wielding hardcore weapons that could easily kill a man. But let’s do a little bit of body language analysis, shall we? First let’s take a gander at Hemsworth. His hair is straggly and looks like it hasn’t been washed in weeks, he has a beard (which is a +1 in any fight), his eyes suggest that he’s not too happy with the way you’re looking at him, and the axe is slung over his shoulder like it’s no big deal. Now let’s move over to Hammer. Yes, his sword is thrust forward, but he seems to be leaning back a bit taking a defensive stance. His coat is nice and shiny and I polar bears would be envious of how white that shirt is. If these characters were to actually fight, Hemsworth would probably be okay with getting stabbed a few times provided it got him close enough to chop off Hammer’s head. But let’s be real, this was over the second I noticed the beard.

Battle of the Evil Queen: Charlize Theron vs. Julia Roberts

This is a much different kind of battle than the last two. Neither of these characters are inclined to do any physical labor themselves, so they definitely aren’t going to be picking up arms against each other. No, this is a battle of malevolence; a war that is won by the queen that simply wants it more. Ignoring the dagger in Theron’s hands (that’s clearly for show, come on), the high-collar and black dress looks so damn evil that Osama bin Laden would have thought it was a bit too much. Then there’s Roberts relaxing deep in her chair and wearing a dress so big that even if she were to try and stand she probably wouldn’t be able to find the floor. She looks so damn relaxed that you could Photoshop a remote control into her right hand and nobody would blink an eye. The choice is simple: one of these ladies simply wanted it more.

BONUS ROUND - Battle of the Other Guys: Sam Claflin vs. Nathan Lane

Seriously? Come on. It’s in the eyes.

FINAL ANALYSIS: By a final score of 3-1, the winner of this contest is Snow White and the Huntsman, but the war is from over. To learn more about both films be sure to check out each one’s individual pages in our Blend Film Database HERE and HERE. With that I’ll throw it to you:

This poll is no longer available.

Thanks to some official photos that were released during this year's San Diego Comic Con we already have an idea of what the characters in Rupert Sanders' Snow White And The Huntsman will look like. For example, we know that Kristen Stewart, who plays the titular fairy tale princess, will be wearing some pretty hardcore armor and wielding a shield and sword. But the images that were released had the character standing in a grey vacuum. What will she look like in her own environment? Now we know.

Pop Sugar has posted a full gallery of images showcasing Kristen Stewart on the set of Snow White And The Huntsman. Check out a couple of the pictures below and head over there to see the rest.

Co-starring Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin and Noah Huntley, this darker take on the classic Grimm fairy tale has Snow White being taught to become a warrior by the huntsman that was sent by the evil queen to kill her. Written by Evan Daugherty, the movie has been slated by Universal Pictures for a June 1, 2012 release date. For more about the film, be sure to head over to our Blend Film Database.

I swear when I first read this story, I thought that Lily Collins had jumped ship from Relativity’s Snow White and decided to join Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron in Universal’s Snow White and the Huntsman. But it’s actually Lily Cole who has been added to the cast alongside Sam Spruell, Variety reports.

According to the trade, the newcomers will play Greta and Finn, henchmen to Theron’s wicked queen who are sent to kill Stewart’s Snow White and Hemsworth’s hunter. Though the Thor star is initially on a quest to take down the fairest of them all himself, he eventually turns into Snow White’s protector. Cole previously was seen in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and There Be Dragons, while Spruell acted in The Hurt Locker and Ed Zwick’s Defiance.

None of this really matters, however, because we’re really only coming to Rupert Sanders’s Snow White to witness the amazingly eclectic collection of gruff character actors he has hired to play the seven dwarfs. Earlier this week, names like Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Eddie Izzard, Toby Jones and Ray Winstone were added to the dwarf call sheet, meaning the picture will get far less interesting when Snow White’s pint-sized co-stars are off screen. Snow White and the Huntsman is still on track for a June 1, 2012 opening.

Despite recent rumors that Joel Edgerton might get the part that both Viggo Mortensen and Hugh Jackman have walked away from, it looks like Thor himself might be the one to play the Huntsman. According to Deadline Chris Hemsworth has emerged as the frontrunner for the male title role in Snow White and the Huntsman, the fairy tale spin in development at Universal.

Kristen Stewart is set to star as the heroine and Charlize Theron as the evil queen, but even though production has been set to start shooting in August and come out December 21 of next year, the male lead has been tough to find. Mortensen was set to star until contract negotiations broke down, and after flirting with the project for a brief period, Jackman backed out several weeks ago as well. Though Hemsworth is a good bit younger than either Jackman or Mortensen and not nearly as established a star, that will probably all change come Friday when Thor-- currently sitting at an astonishing 95% Rotten Tomatoes score-- opens in the United States. The movie works for any number of reasons, but Hemsworth's easy charisma and handling of a complicated character is a huge factor; the potential he showed in his brief role in 2009's Star Trek has developed into real starpower.

Right now he's only a frontrunner for the film, which Rupert Sanders is directing, so there are no guarantees he'll nail the role yet. But so long as commitments to The Avengers don't get in the way, I see no reason they wouldn't want him on board here.

After Viggo Mortensen walked away from the negotiations table at the end of last month, it looked for some time that Universal's big-budget project Snow White and the Huntsman might be able to snag an even bigger star to replace him, thanks to reports that Hugh Jackman was interested in the role. But now that contingency plan has fallen through as well-- The Wrap reports that negotiations with Jackman have ended after starting last week.

That leaves the film without either of the two leads in place-- though Kristen Stewart has been in mind for the part of Snow White for months, her deal is not yet confirmed. The only actor truly in place is Charlize Theron, who has signed on to play the Evil Queen in the film that Rupert Sanders will direct. Remember not to confuse this with the other movie based on the same fairy tale, simply titled Snow White, which will star Lily Collins and Armie Hammer and be directed by The Fall's Tarsem Singh.

All signs point to Universal moving ahead with the planned August shoot and December 21, 2012 release date for Snow White and the Huntsman, but they're going to have to wrangle some other handsome dark-haired actors to jump on board quickly. Mortensen reportedly walked away due to salary concerns, and it's unclear why Jackman also bailed, though it's possible that means there's new life in The Wolverine, the superhero project Jackman presumably has to make as soon as they line up a director.