We have an exclusive first look at pictures from Sleeping Beauty’s Massacre (Picture: ChampDog Films/Disney)
The trend of Disney horror remakes shows no sign of abating, with an exclusive first look at Sleeping Beauty’s Massacre just days after the production company shared pictures from Cinderella’s Curse.
Distributor ITN Studios, who were also behind cuddly slasher Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey earlier this year, have very much moved into their gory Disney princess era alongside production company ChampDog Films.
A horror retelling of Sleeping Beauty, an Italian literary fairytale popularly adapted by French author Charles Perrault in the late 17th century, Sleeping Beauty’s Massacre is currently shooting in Scotland.
In pop culture, the most recognisable version of the story is probably Disney’s 1959 animated version with stunning artwork by Eyvind Earle, itself drawing inspiration from Tchaikovsky’s 1889 ballet of the same name.
It’s safe to say that this new version of the story is going in a different direction, produced and directed by Louisa Warren, who is also behind Cinderella’s Curse, and with a screenplay by Jasmine Ebony Thomas.
Sleeping Beauty’s Massacre follows the beautiful Princess Thalia (Lora Hristova), who is ruined after her father’s mysterious death and no longer able to marry her love, Prince Edison (Benedict Clarke), after losing her status.
Most fans are familiar with the Disney spin on the fairytale (Picture: Disney)
However, Sleeping Beauty’s Massacre is going down a new path (Picture: ChampDog Films)
First images include a mysterious female figure in a blood-spattered mask (Picture: ChampDog Films)
Adding an extra layer of danger and conflict is Queen Velma, who wants to take the kingdom for herself and will use her dark powers – and the occult – to take over by any means necessary.
Velma casts Thaila into a deep sleep to never wake, until one day she does and her web of lies starts to tear around her.
The film promises ‘twist after twist with gory and graphic deaths’ for those not quite sure just how horrific the film may be.
In the images from Sleeping Beauty’s Massacre shared exclusively with Metro.co.uk, it’s safe to say that there’s a lot of blood, as we see a terrified woman with a wild look in her eyes spattered across her face.
There’s also this pretty grim fellow (Picture: ChampDog Films)
Sleeping Beauty’s Massacre aims to be ‘the most uncomfortable horror experience to date’ (Picture: ChampDog Films)
There’s also a glimpse of a female figure wearing a white Venetian-style face mask, also covered in blood, as she waits by candlelight.
Finally, there’s a hooded person with a terrifyingly disfigured face lurking in the shadows, a gruesome set of teeth bared.
Sophie Rankin, Charlotte Coleman and Yvonne Curwen also feature in Sleeping Beauty’s Massacre.
Sorry Phillip and Aurora, but you might want to look away now… (Picture: Disney)
Director Louisa Warren teased: ‘This film will flip everything as you know it on its head. It is savage, dark and utterly horrifying. I am setting out to create the most uncomfortable horror experience to date. There will be lies, gore and a big massacre.’
‘If you look back at the original material, there is so much to play with,’ she adds, and Warren has taken the princess’s real name – Thalia rather than Aurora – as in Sun, Moon and Talia as written by Giambattista in his 1634 work, the Pentamerone, before Perrault retold it in French later that century.
Lead actress Lora Hristova shared: ‘This movie has taken everything back to the gritty origins. There are truly horrific, gut-wrenching moments.’
Cinderella’s Curse from ChampDog Films will also be giving us more Disney princess horror in the autumn (Picture: ChampDog Films)
Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey was a surprise hit earlier this year for distributor ITN Studios, with film’s director, Rhys Frake-Waterfield, working on a sequel already.
Frake-Waterfield also staying firmly in fairytale territory himself with other future projects too, as both both Bambi: The Reckoning and Peter Pan: Neverland Nightmare in active development.
ITN Studios is planning a 2023 release for Sleeping Beauty’s Massacre.
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The director promises ‘the most uncomfortable horror experience to date’.
