While Viggo Mortensen may have lost out to Javier Bardem (and maybe Christian Bale too) for the lead role in The Dark Tower adaptation, that’s not going to stop him from getting his deserved starring gig.
Johnny Depp and Michael Fassbender were previously rumored to take on the title character of the Huntsman in the more romantic version of the classic fairy tale Snow White, but Viggo Mortensen was chosen for the part and is now in negotiations to star in Snow White and the Huntsman. The latest reports also indicate that Twilight star Kristen Stewart is a contender to co-star as the other title character.
Universal is sold on who they want to play the Huntsman but are still testing actresses for the part of Snow White. Stewart joins a list which also includes Emily Browning (Sucker Punch) who screen-tested last week for the part. Should the studio sign Stewart as Snow White, I have no doubt that some will scoff at the casting choice. I however, can picture her on screen alongside the friendly mentor of Mortensen’s much older Huntsman character, whose role in the film is an expansion of the character’s minor part in the original story of Snow White.
Stewart’s casting in this retelling of The Brothers Grimm story would mark her first major studio lead role outside of the Twilight franchise since it began and a departure from her less-mainstream indie fare as of late. Snow White and the Huntsman is one of three different Snow White movies in development and its cast may also include Charlize Theron as the evil queen.
Should all three actors sign, Universal’s take on Snow White would boast a strong cast of A-list talent. You can never go wrong with Viggo as your star so it sounds like director Rupert Sanders has a lot of potential to play with in bringing Evan Daugherty’s screenplay to life.
