Credit: DisneyWith the future of Hollywood appearing more grim than ever, it’s no wonder that Disney’s film and TV landscape is starting to look a little different…even if they’re not technically Disney projects at all. As the House of Mouse’s current productions continue to grind to a screeching halt, one studio is full steam ahead on their next project: a horror remake of Sleeping Beauty.
There seems to be no end in sight for the ongoing WGA (Writers Guild of America) strike, and the picket line is only growing stronger after fellow labor union SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) voted to withhold labor after failing to reach a fair agreement with major Hollywood studios.
The strike has severely impacted all major studios. Still, perhaps no brand was hit harder than the Walt Disney Company, who’s seeing most, if not all, of its productions, come to a standstill as union members exit projects like Marvel’s Blade (2024) or the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch (TBA) in solidarity with the movement.
Related: Disney Announces Live-Action ‘Bambi,’ Bringing A Dwayne Johnson SNL Sketch To Life
However, for movies and TV shows that have already been completed, it’s business as usual—especially at ITN Studios, whose upcoming project might just be a worthy rival to Disney, especially considering its connections to one of the brand’s most cherished IPs, Sleeping Beauty.
Directed by Louisa Warren and distributed by the same studio behind the micro-budget cult hit Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023), Sleeping Beauty’s Massacre (TBA) will turn the fairytale we all know and love into a bloody gore-fest, swapping fairies and true love’s kiss for death, destruction, and carnage.
Unlike the timeless 1959 animated classic, this take on the beloved fable will see Aurora (who goes by Princess Thalia in this rendition) as you’ve never seen her before—ruthless, covered in blood, and on a murderous rampage against the evil Queen Velma after she puts Thalia into a deep sleep to keep the kingdom to herself.
The film was announced back in May, and stars Lora Hristova as Princess Thalia alongside Benedict Clarke, Sophie Rankin, Charlotte Coleman, and Yvonne Curwen, with a screenplay penned by Jasmine Ebony Thomas. Speaking on the new horror flick, Warren revealed:
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.
Now, thanks to new images released via Bloody Disgusting, horror fans can get a closer look at the upcoming film, which features an onslaught of bloody imagery. The photos tease similar plot threads from the original Sleeping Beauty, showing Thalia covered in blood, as well as a dismembered, bloody face—which could very well be one of the murderous princess’ victims.
Sleeping Beauty’s Massacre is currently filming in Scotland, and no official release date has yet been revealed. It’s difficult to say whether or not the horror flick will be impacted by the strike back in Hollywood or if the project will keep chugging away at production. Either way, with other R-rated remakes like Cinderella’s Curse (2023) and Bambi: The Reckoning (TBA) on the horizon, it appears nobody’s favorite childhood comfort watch is safe from receiving a terrifying twist on the big screen.
What do you think of these horror remakes of beloved childhood classics? Share your thoughts in the comments below.