Disney announced today that Into The Woods has finaly ventured into production!
While musicals may not be everyone’s cup of tea, this production aims to have mass appeal from subject matter to casting. Based on the Stephen Sondehim (Sweeney Todd) musical, for which he wrote the music and lyrics, Into The Woodsreimagines fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm as the consequences and aftermath of each character’s story is dealt with in a humorous and musically “wicked” way. These stories include, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstock and Rapunzel.
The project is directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) and is written by the same scribe of the musical’s book, James Lapine. But what should raise the most eyebrows is the impressive assembly of casting talent:
· Meryl Streep (“The Iron Lady,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “August: Osage County”) portrays the Witch who wishes to reverse a curse so that her beauty may be restored.· Emily Blunt (“Looper,” “The Young Victoria,” “The Devil Wears Prada”) is the Baker’s Wife, a childless woman who longs to be a mother.· James Corden (Broadway’s “One Man, Two Guvnors,” “The Three Musketeers,” “Gavin & Stacey”) plays the role of the Baker, a hard-working man who desperately wants to start a family.· Anna Kendrick (“Pitch Perfect,” “Up in the Air”) fills the shoes of Cinderella, who finds herself on a journey of self-discovery.· Chris Pine (“Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Jack Ryan”) portrays Cinderella’s Prince, charming and impossibly handsome, who is on an endless quest to find his bride.· Johnny Depp (“Pirates of the Caribbean” films, “The Lone Ranger,” “Sweeney Todd”) steps in as the Wolf, who sets his sights on Little Red Riding Hood.· Lilla Crawford (Broadway’s “Annie”) makes her feature-film debut as Little Red Riding Hood, a smart and spunky girl who journeys into the woods, finding unexpected adventures along the way.· Daniel Huttlestone (“Les Misérables”) lands the role of Jack, an absentminded and adventurous boy who trades his treasured cow for five magic beans.· Tracey Ullman joins the cast as Jack’s Mother, a poor and exasperated mom who is overwhelmed, yet fiercely protective of her son.· Christine Baranski (“Mamma Mia!,” “Chicago” “The Good Wife”) takes on the infamous Stepmother who wishes for riches and grandeur; she'll do anything to marry off one of her daughters to a prince.· MacKenzie Mauzy (“Brother’s Keeper,” Broadway’s “Next to Normal”) plays Rapunzel, a sheltered young woman who experiences the world beyond her tower for the first time.· Billy Magnussen (Broadway’s “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “The East”) is the dashing and eager Prince who courts Rapunzel.
Expect to join this enchantingly twisty road Into The Woodson Christmas Day 2014.