A couple of years ago, Universal followed Disney’s lead with their own live-action adaptation of a fairy tale, turning Snow White into the gritty action-fantasy extravaganza Snow White and the Huntsman starring Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth. The movie didn’t put up huge numbers but it did well enough to warrant a sequel. There was just one potential problem: Kristen Stewart’s asking price for a follow-up film was extremely high. And so, somewhere along the way, the execs at Universal got creative and decided to cut Snow White out of her own fairy tale. We now know that the Snow White and the Huntsman sequel will actually be a spin-off called simply The Huntsman and Rupert Sanders will not be returning as director. Instead, Frank Darabont has signed on to write and direct and it appears to be a prequel. Here’s an excerpt from the official press release:

“The fantastical world of 2012’s global hit SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN expands to reveal how the fates of two characters, The Huntsman Eric and Ravenna, intersected before they met Snow White. Chris Hemsworth and Oscar® winner Charlize Theron return to their roles in a new epic action-adventure, THE HUNTSMAN. Three-time Oscar® nominee Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) directs and wrote the current draft of the screenplay, with earlier drafts by Craig Mazin and Evan Spiliotopoulos. Producer Joe Roth (Maleficent, Alice in Wonderland) once again leads the team in a breathtaking new tale from the legendary saga.”

Universal has set The Huntsman for release on April 22nd, 2016, slipping into the release date originally chosen for The Mummy reboot. Now that Alex Kurtzman is taking over as director on that project, The Mummy is being given a bit more time and the release date has been pushed back to June 24th, 2016. Darabont last directed The Mist, but spent the last seven years doing a lot of TV work with The Walking Dead and his short-lived TNT series Mob City.

It’s unclear if Kristen Stewart actually wanted to be involved in the sequel, and at one point it was hinted that she might make a small appearance in the film. The film was also the source of a scandal when it was revealed that she was having an affair with director Rupert Sanders while still dating Robert Pattinson at the time. It does seem pretty typically shortsighted for a studio blockbuster to shun a female star in favour of the male lead, but I wonder if the movie will do as well without “Snow White” in the title. Are you looking forward to a Snow White and the Huntsman sequel without Snow White?