Snow White and the Huntsman isn’t your mother’s fairy tale! Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth and Kristen Stewart star in this dark tale of the fairest of them all. Guided by vanity, the evil Queen Raveena, played by Theron, sets out to destroy young Snow White (Stewart) by enlisting The Huntsman (Hemsworth) to kill her, but unbeknownst to Raveena, The Huntsman falls for the fair maiden and instead trains her in the art of war enabling her to threaten the reign of the evil Queen. I sat down with Oscar winner Theron to talk about her character and working with two of Hollywood’s hottest young stars.
You play the wicked Queen Raveena. Why is she so evil and so intent on being the ‘fairest of them all’?
She’s a character who is born into this gypsy community, gypsy philosophy, this idea that her mother instilled in her at a very young age that she can only be her true best self if she remains young and stays beautiful. So, she kind of realizes that with her magical powers, that is kind of her survival. That’s the road she travels.
This film is very dark in tone, but absolutely spectacular to watch. What’s your take on the look and feel of the film?
It is like nothing I’ve been a part of. It really is epic in scale. It is gorgeous. It is disturbing. It’s always walking this very fine line of fantasy and reality, heightened fantasies and harsh realities, and I think that’s the thing that grounds it and makes it feel, makes you care, makes you connect, gets you hooked. But at the same time, it’s a real feast for the eyes. I mean, it’s beautifully shot. This film is really, really gorgeous.
One of my favorite new big screen heroes is Chris Hemsworth who is also one of the fantastic stars of the film. He really just seems like the most perfect choice for The Huntsman.
It was a really good group of people, and Chris is right up there. I mean he’s just like, salt of the earth. He really loves what he does and understands how fortunate he is to be in the position that he’s in and wants to push himself. I think we all came in with that kind of energy and that’s an incredible thing to be around… your fellow actors, feeling like you have to be on your toes at all times
Speaking of fellow actors, Kristen Stewart, so beloved as “Bella” in the twilight series. What was it like working with her?
I am so thoroughly impressed with her. Oh my god, when I think of myself back when I was her age, she’s really special. She’s really got a good, good head on her shoulders.
What do you think audiences will most love about this film, and why should they go see it?
I think this film; the scale of it and how epic it is, on how visual it is combined with the actors, the cast alone is incredible. The grounding of the work in hyper-reality, I think that’s what people are going to connect with. I think it’s going to be a feast for their eyes, but I think at the core, it’s going to be something that emotionally really moves them, and I think that’s ultimately the greatest thing that you can ask for.
If you want to get lost in the fantasy, you can check out Snow White and The Huntsman tonight! It’s playing nationwide, and the film is rated Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and brief sensuality.