Into the Woods

Into the Woods is an upcoming live-action fantasy musical film, based off of the Broadway musical, that will be released by Disney on December 25, 2014.

A movie version of Steven Sondheim's legendary musical Into the Woods has been in development at Disney for a year or so. The award-winning Broadway musical epitomized the phrase "fractured fairy tale," as Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack (of the Beanstalk fame) and a childless baker and his wife venture into the woods to have their wishes granted... and discover that real life seldom works like a fairy tale.

In January 2012, it was reported that Rob Marshall has signed on to direct a film adaptation of the musical for Walt Disney Pictures, with James Lapine writing the script and Stephen Sondheim "expected" to write new songs. Dion Beebe, who previously collaborated with Marshall in Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Nine will serve as cinematographer. Sondheim confirmed that a new song is being written for the film. The film is expected to begin shooting in London September 2013.

Composer David Krane, who collaborated with Marshall on the film versions of Chicago and Nine, recently confirmed with the Litchfield County Times, a local Connecticut newspaper that Meryl Streep would play the evil witch. Johnny Depp will play the Wolf from Little Red Riding Hood. In June 2013, Emily Blunt confirmed that she would be playing the Baker's Wife. Her character is married to Rapunzel's older brother.

Cast

 * Meryl Streep as the Witch
 * James Corden as the Baker
 * Emily Blunt as the Baker's Wife
 * Johnny Depp as the Wolf
 * Anna Kendrick as Cinderella
 * Chris Pine as Cinderella's Prince
 * Daniel Huttlestone as Jack
 * Tracey Ullman as Jack's Mother
 * Mackenzie Mauzy as Rapunzel
 * Billy Magnussen as Rapunzel's Prince
 * Christine Baranski as the Wicked Stepmother
 * Tammy Blanchard as Florinda
 * Lucy Punch as Lucinda
 * Lilla Crawford as Little Red Riding Hood
 * Richard Glover as the Steward
 * Frances de la Tour as the Giant
 * Simon Russell Beale as the Baker's father
 * Joanna Riding as Cinderella's mother
 * Annette Crosbie as Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother

Plot
The film centers on a baker and his wife’s quest to break a witch’s curse in order to start a family. Along the way, they encounter several well-known fairy tale characters, and together they learn what happens after "happily ever after".

Filming
The film began principal photography at London's Shepperton Studios in September 2013, with additional filming taking place at Dover Castle and Waverley Abbey.

Trivia

 * Sophia Grace Brownlee was originally cast as Little Red Riding Hood, but her parents withdrew from the film after thing she was too young for the role.
 * Jake Gyllenhaal was originally cast as Rapunzel's Prince but departed the film to star in another movie called Nightcrawler.
 * In early 2013, the press reported that Allison Janney had been cast as Jack's Mother before Tracey Ullman got the part.