The world at large finally has an **Into The Woods **trailer. Fans of the musical it's based on have long been very excited to see (and hear) what Rob Marshall has done with Stephen Sondheim's classic, and with this teaser, they... well, they get to see a bit of it. You'll note that not a single word is sung throughout, almost as if the publicity department are scared to mention the word "musical".
Riffing on the stories of the Brothers Grimm, **Into The Woods **is about a childless baker who attempts to lift a family curse by journeying woods-ward to confront Streep's evil harpy. Along the way they encounter classic characters like Rapunzel, Cinderella, Jack (of beanstalk notoriety) and Red Riding Hood, played by newcomer Lilla Crawford.
James Corden is the Baker, with Emily Blunt as his wife, Anna Kendrick as Cinderella, Chris Pine as Cinders' handsome prince, Lilla Crawford as Red, Johnny Depp (no stranger to Sondheim after Sweeney Todd) as the Big Bad Wolf, Mackenzie Mauzy as Rapunzel, Annette Crosbie as Grandma, Daniel Huttlestone as Jack, Frances de la Tour as The Giant, Tracey Ullman as Jack's mother... and the list goes on and on. Someone called Meryl Streep plays "The Witch".
As previously mentioned, Rob Marshall (Chicago, Nine, Memoirs Of A Geisha, Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) is the director, with the film set for UK release on January 9, 2015. It makes its bow in the US on Christmas Day.