Coming Attractions: Fairy Tales

This is one film trend that I am all for. Out with the vampires and werewolves, in with the fairy tales! Ever since grade eight, when we studied fairy tales, I've been fascinated with them. We read the original, gruesome, lesser-known versions of fairy tales and I loved it. I guess I have a thing for uncovering 'the seedy underbelly' of old stories that have been 'sugar-coated'. (I have the same feelings towards religions, particularly Bible stories.)
I've read various versions of many fairy tales and read lots of research about when they were written, what they were inspired by, and their history since then. Although I'm a sucker for the Disney versions, I love other interpretations even more. I love these 'untold stories' of fairy tales and other classic stories*.

Some fairy tale/classic story film interpretations that I love:
Return to Oz (1985) A much darker sequel to The Wizard of Oz based on the first few Oz books, starring a young Fairuza Balk.
Ever After (1998) A perfect example of telling the 'real' story behind a fairy tale.
Alice in Wonderland (1999) A live-action version of the story, which includes many parts from both books which aren't usually included in other versions.
Hoodwinked (2005) Red Riding Hood is turned into a silly murder-mystery in this animated film.
Tin Man (2007) A Sci-Fi channel mini-series that reinterprets the story of Dorothy in Oz in a modern/futuristic way, starring the adorable Zooey Deschanel.
Alice in Wonderland (2010) Alice returns to a destroyed Wonderland in this Tim Burton film.

But this post is about coming attractions, so here are some fairy tale movies coming up that I am looking forward to...

Beastly (in theaters March 4)

Beastly just opened and the reviews I've been seeing are saying it's dreadful. I'm so disappointed because I was really looking forward to it. I've really enjoyed movies that the critics have ripped apart before, so I'll probably still enjoy this one at least because it's a fairytale remake.

Red Riding Hood (in theaters March 11)

I'm curious to see how far they go with this big-bad-wolf, forbidden love story. I feel there's a big mystery there, and I want to find out!

These films are still in pre-production, but all the rumors I'm reading about them are getting me excited! (The IMDb.com pages might not have much information, but check out the news article links on the side for more info and photos.)

Oz: The Great and Powerful (2013) Not so happy about James Franco being cast. Not a fan of his. At all.

Dorothy of Oz (2012) Yup, I think it's about time for a animated musical in which Dorothy returns to Oz with the talented Lea Michele voicing Dorothy.

The Brothers Grimm: Snow White (2012) It's described as 'a dark twist' on the fairy tale, which is always good in my books. Julia Roberts is attached as the evil queen.

Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) I'm not a Kristen Stewart fan. She better not ruin one of my favorite fairy tales.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2012) Now this is what I'm talking about! Fairy tales gone bad ass!

With all these fairy tale based movies coming out, I don't think I'll be the only one interested in the original fairy tales. I see a major trend coming on...

*On the note of fairy tales, I would like to make it clear that the classic stories (that I also love) Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz are not fairy tales. I understand why they are often lumped together, but it's one of my pet peeves when people call them fairy tales. Fairy tales were written hundreds of years ago. They are quite literally tales that were passed down generations and have many different written versions, usually with one most popular version that gets retold and reinterpreted over and over. Alice 's Adventures in Wonderland was a children's novel written by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll) in 1865. It was followed by Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There in 1871. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written by Frank L. Baum in 1900, and was followed by fourteen other books of adventures in Oz. Original novels, not fairy tales.There's a little history lesson for you.