Orion Pictures has released a new full-length trailer forGretel and Hansel. This will be one of the first big horror releases of 2020, followingThe Grudge, which arrives in theaters this weekend. In this case, we’re getting a new, twisted take on a familiar Brothers Grimm fairytale. That of Hansel and Gretel, only with the names reversed. As we can see from this new footage, this is going to be a rather dark take on the material and doesn’t look to be shying away from the uglier parts of the story.
The trailer kicks off with Gretel, played byITbreakoutSophia Lillis, wandering through the woods. We see her younger brother, Hansel, asking her to tell her a story, which she refused to do because she doesn’t want him seeing things. Hansel then begins to see things, most notably a witch, anyway. We come to find out that the two have been left to fend for themselves, which makes it all the more appealing when they come across a strange house that is owned by an old woman that smells of cake and is filled with treats. Things get progressively creepy from there, with lots of unsettling imagery. The whole thing is punctuated with a particularly nasty bit that may make certain viewers lose their appetite.
As we saw in the firstGretel & Hansel trailer, this version of the story is set a long time ago in a distant fairytale countryside and centers on a young girl who leads her little brother into the darkness of the woods as they’re in desperate need of food and work. While they find what they’re looking for, they also stumble upon a terrifying evil. The cast includes newcomer Sammy Leakey, Alice Krige (Star Trek,The OA), Jessica De Gouw (Underground,Arrow) and Charles Babalola (Black Mirror,The Legend of Tarzan).
Oz Perkins is in the director’s chair. Perkins previously helmedThe Blackcoat’s DaughterandI Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House. The movie was written by Rob Hayes, who is known for his work on Netflix’sChewing Gumand the upcoming movieMonday. Brian Kavanaugh-Jones (Sinister,Upgrade) and Fred Berger (La La Land,Destroyer) serve as producers, with and Sandra Yee Ling and Macdara Kelleher on board as executive producers.
In addition to the trailer, a new poster has made its way online, which we’ve also included for you to take a peek at. This certainly isn’t the first time that Hollywood has turned tothe Brothers Grimmfor inspiration. This particular tale has been tackled before, perhaps most notably in 2013’s Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, which starred Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton as the fairytale duo. That didn’t go over particularly well critically speaking but was a decent hit at the box office.Gretel & Hanselis set to hit theaters on January 31 fromOrion Pictures. Be sure to check out the new trailer for yourself.
