Kristen Stewart in Snow White and the Huntsman |
In Snow White and the
Huntsman, a breathtaking new vision of the legendary tale begins. Kristen
Stewart plays the only person
in the land fairer than the evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron).The casting of Ravenna’s nemesis was slightly
trickier than finding her pursuer. The
filmmakers were searching for an actress who could capture both sides of the
archetypal character: the innocence, naiveté and tenderness that Snow White
demonstrates in the first half of our story, and the tough, physical warrior
princess that she becomes in the second half.
They discovered a number of younger actresses who could play the first
half of the movie brilliantly but had trouble convincing the team that they
could carry off the tougher persona.
Likewise, when older actresses auditioned, they could well portray the
battle-hardened soldier but were unconvincing as the recessive captive that the
film’s early scenes demanded.
After a worldwide search for a
performer who could fulfill the demands of this expansive role, Kristen
Stewart, known for her role as Bella Swan in the blockbuster Twilight saga, was cast in the much
coveted role of Snow White. Comments director Rupert Sanders of the team’s choice: “Kristen is such an incredible talent.
She has obviously done amazing work in her projects to date, but this
opens her up to an even larger audience and gives her a classical role. She’s previously been in films that are of
our era and not done a film quite like this.
This is her chance to rise, and to shine as well. The two track well together.”
Producer
Joe Roth gives a bit of background
on her casting: “We all felt convinced that Snow White was not shy but
somebody who was an aggressive, assertive, positive Joan of Arc-like
figure. We originally were looking for an unknown to play the character,
in the same way we did on Alice in Wonderland, where we found Mia
Wasikowska. However, Rupert and I decided to fly down to New Orleans,
where the last Twilight film was being shot, and sat and talked to
Kristen. We felt great about casting Kristen. She really did her homework for this
role. She spent four months riding
horses and four months with an English accent.”
Stewart
introduces us to a young woman we thought we had long known: “We’re not trying to take Snow White and
turn her on her side; we stay very true to who she is in the story. She represents a reminder of just how great people can be to one another.” Agreeing with Theron, the actress appreciated
the material’s thoughtful take on beauty and power. Stewart says: “It’s been interesting to play a
young girl who is completely unaware of any vanity. She just has none. In almost every other role you play, you’re
at least aware of yourself and might have to play a girl dealing with vanity as
she grows into a woman. The fact that
Snow White has absolutely none of that, and Ravenna has the ultimate opposite,
says something very nice about what people find beautiful in life.”
The performer
appreciated the writers’ take on Snow White, a character initially trapped in a
forest that draws its strength from any weakness. Stewart reflects: “I do admire strong
characters, but this wasn’t strong for the sake of strong. It was so feminine and so human, and I love
playing a character who is someone that you’re going to root for and throw your
drink on the ground and stand up and go, ‘Yeah!’”
This part represented
Stewart’s first time as an action heroine, albeit a conflicted one. She says: “Snow White is initially this
disconnected martyr. After she escapes,
she’s becoming this human being again, but she’s not necessarily fighting for
herself. It’s like there’s a hole that
can’t be filled. Most action characters
are so self-righteous and vindictive, but she won’t do that. I’ve never seen that before, and I think it’s
awesome.”
Stewart knew there would be much stunt
work involved in a production of this size and scope, and she was more than
ready for the challenge. For example,
during Snow White’s escape scene, the actress was required to be literally up
to her shoulders in an enclosed sewer set with dozens of live rats. As well, she had to jump off of a two-story
building into a pool on a chilly London day to make this daring escape.
“Snow White
and the Huntsman” is released and distributed by
United International
Pictures through Solar Entertainment Corp.
Showing on June 1, 2012
nationwide.
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