Universal’s “Snow White and the Huntsman,” one of two competing upcoming Snow White-derived films, has found three of its seven dwarves in Eddie Izzard, Bob Hoskins and Toby Jones, according to The Hollywood Reporter. All three actors are in negotiations for the film.
Eddie Marsan (“Sherlock Holmes”) and Steven Graham are also in negotiations to play dwarfs. Ian McShane (“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”) was already announced as the dwarf leader
The Rupert Sanders-directed film centers on Snow White (“Twilight” star Kristen Stewart) as she escapes her evil stepmother (“Monster” Oscar winner Charlize Theron). The latter hires a huntsman (“Thor’s” Chris Hemsworth) to kill Snow White, but he falls in love with her instead.
Further revisionism is evident in the dwarfs’ names. Steering clear of the 1937 Disney animated film, the new dwarfs will have Roman-sounding monikers like Caesar (McShane), Claudius (Jones) and Tiberius (Izzard). Hoskins will play Constantine, a blind dwarf.
Evan Daugherty and Evan Spiliotopoulos wrote the script.
Meanwhile, Relativity Media’s rival “The Brothers Grimm: Snow White” recently added its own dwarf crew, made up of lesser-known actors. That film stars Lily Collins, Julia Roberts and Armie Hammer, and will likely be more family-friendly than “Huntsman.”
Izzard will soon be heard in “Cars 2.”
Hoskins recently appeared in “Made in Dagenham.”
Jones (“Capote”) has a busy year ahead of him; He’ll next be seen in “Captain America: The First Avenger” and will appear in “The Adventures of Tintin” and “Hunger Games.”