One of the most creative forms of literature, which began long ago out of the desire to tell stories to the children of the world, is that which is commonly called the fairy tale. For a while, it might have seemed like the fairy tale had been relegated to the basement of the proverbial library, all but removed from the minds and hearts of readers for generations.
But, it would seem that perhaps the tide is changing. And as a creative writer myself, I’m curious to see how all of this turns out.
Where and when did this resurgence begin? We’ll that might be hard to pinpoint with any level of exactness. However, in my humble opinion, I’d venture to say that it really started in early 2012. Some might say that animated films like those of the “Shrek” series kick-started things but I’m not so sure that is the case.
In March 2012, Relativity Media released the film “Mirror, Mirror,” a new, yet not too far-fetched, version of the tale of Snow White. Soon after, a number of adjusted fairy tales began to emerge on the silver screen, all with new twists on the classic stories.
Some of these include:
Snow White and the Huntsmen (2012) – This movie is a bit more action, driven with a darker side to it.
Hansel and Gretel: Which Hunters (2013) – This one appears to focus on the chosen careers (as which hunters) after the original story. It is certainly of the action adventure variety.
Jack the Giant Killer (2013) – Also an action-oriented film, this take of the original looks to be a visual spectacular.
Other movies in development include revised versions of “Sleeping Beauty,” “Peter Pan and “Pinocchio” among several others.
As far as I can tell, most of these movies seem to be geared toward a more grown up audience with more graphic and mature themes.
At the very least, it should be interesting to see how all of this plays out and whether or not this current trend will be welcomed by the masses or simply turn out to be yet another fad of sorts within the entertainment industry.