Snow White Has A Sister Named Rose Red And Disney Is Bringing Her To Life

Once upon a time, Snow White had a sister and her name was Rose Red. Although this may sound like a gimmicky campaign launched by Disney Studios to capitalize on the classic Snow White tale without subjecting the world to yet another live action retelling of that same, familiar fairy tale, it’s not. The story of Rose Red is told in a fairy tale all her own, first appearing in a 17th century edition of the Brothers Grimm book, which was entitled Snow White and Rose-Red. Now, centuries later, Disney is digging out that classic fable to give it a much deserved silver screen treatment.

Not To Be Confused With Snow White, This Is The Story Of Rose Red And Her Quest To Save Snow White

In 1812, the story we all know as Snow White and the tale upon which Disney’s films, both animated and live action, have been based was published, but the Snow White character appeared in a much earlier tale. That story, Snow White and Rose-Red, has virtually been lost in obscurity until Disney announced plans to revitalize the story for a live action feature film adaptation.

The story of Rose Red comes within the context of familiar Snow White tale. In this earlier version, Rose Red enlists the help of the seven dwarves in a perilous quest to free Snow White from her deep sleep. In this story, as well, Snow White has taken a bite of the poisonous apple delivered to her by the wicked witch in disguise, but this earlier version features Rose Red as the heroine, instead of casting Prince Charming as the hero.

Evan Daugherty first pitched the story of Rose Red to Disney. If the name rings a bell, that may be due to the fact that Daugherty wrote the script for the live action film Snow White and the Huntsman(2012), which starred Kristen Stewart as Snow White, Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman, and Charlize Theron as the Evil Queen.

Can Disney Create A New Rose Red Franchise To Rival Her Sister’s Famed Tale?

While Disney isn’t currently commenting with details surrounding the new Rose Red fairy tale, it seems suggestive that they may be planning more for the Rose Red character than a single, stand alone live action film. To the contrary, Disney executives may be eyeing this film as a stepping stone in creating a brand new princess and one whom won’t be relying on a handsome prince to save the day. In nearly every Disney film, there exists a beautiful, if naive, princess who must face insurmountable odds to either marry her prince or to be saved by a heroic male figure.

In an age where feminism is really gaining momentum and bringing much needed recognition to the female gender, Disney is now presenting the story of Rose Red, the equally demure sister to Snow White. Rose Red takes it upon herself to save her sister from the deadly sleeping curse, and seeking help only from the seven dwarves, she sets off to face the challenges and dangers of rescuing her beloved Snow White. It seems a custom made tale for our current generation, and if created with care, Rose Red may end up being Disney’s most popular princess yet.

With that in mind, it seems likely that Rose Red (not to be confused with the Stephen King story of the same name) may become the newest franchise in the Disney family with future character appearances in animated films and feature live action films. Certainly, Once Upon a Time, the live action television series airing on Disney-owned ABC, will bring in a new Rose Red character to the series, if this first film does well. How will Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) react to learning she has a new aunt?

[Image by Disney]