Fairy Tales Everywhere

If you think the two fairy tale themed television shows that debuted recently are a lot (Once Upon a Time on ABC and Grimm on NBC), you ain't seen nothing yet.  More storybook inspired productions are on the way -- this time to the big screen.  Red Riding Hood was a disappointment, but that hasn't stopped Hollywood from betting on a long list of fable-inspired motion pictures.

If the reaction to the TV shows is any indication, the public might be ready for more, as long as the projects are good, of course.  Once Upon a Time is very soap-opera-ish, following the plight of Snow White and other fairy tale characters who are cursed and forced to live in the "real world."  It's fun seeing the Evil Queen, Geppetto, the Seven Dwarfs, Jiminy Cricket, Rumpelstiltskin, and others brought to life, both in the traditional fantasy world and in our more mundane reality.  It reminds me a lot of Bill Willingham's Fables comic book, so maybe that's why I'm giving it a chance and ignoring some of the more cliched and melodramatic moments.  The cast is pretty solid: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla, Robert Carlyle, and many others.

Grimm has a much darker feel to it -- it's a cross between Supernatural and all the procedural cop shows out there as a young police detective played by David Giuntoli (who looks a lot like former Superman Brandon Routh) who discovers he is part of a long line of hunters called Grimms who track down and battle dangerous creatures from the old fairy tale stories.  The comic-relief Big Bad Wolf character provides some lighthearted moments, but it also seems a bit jarring from the more serious action and horror elements.  Again, I'll keep tuning in to see where it goes, because the production values are pretty good.

Some of the other fairy tale projects on the horizon include:

Cinderella - Disney is making a live action version of its animated classic.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters - The brother and sister who survived the evil witch's oven and her house made of candy are all grown up now and bounty hunters who track down other wicked hags.

Jack the Giant Killer - I'm really excited about this adaptation of "Jack and the Beanstalk" directed by Bryan Singer with an all-star cast that includes Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane, and others.

The Order of the Seven - Also known as "Snow White and the Seven Samurai," this is a martial arts version of the classic.

Sleeping Beauty - Emily Browning stars in an erotic modern retelling of the classic story.

Snow White and the Huntsman - Kristen Stewart plays the lead and Charlize Theron is the Evil Queen in this action-packed continuation of the legendary tale.

Untitled Snow White - Director Tarsem Singh directs Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen in yet another version of the fairy tale.

There are surely others, and if any of these becomes a blockbuster hit, the trend will no doubt continue.