We Hear He Used A Felt-Tip Pen Sign His Contract
Update: “Thor” has grossed a whopping $283 million worldwide. Chris Hemsworth was smart enough to wait and see if the picture was a hit before he signed on for “Snow White and the Huntsman” because he had already been in talks before the movie opened. Now, as you suspected, he’s got the gig.
So, “Thor” had its big U.S. debut over the weekend, and the news is… mixed. On one hand, the film’s $65 million opening wasn’t a disaster at all, on the other it was about in line with “The Incredible Hulk” when you add in inflation and 3D surpluses, and that was seen as something of a disappointment financially. But at the same time, word of mouth seems good, and, as is the trend these days, the film’s kicking ass internationally, already taking in $175 million. While it remains to be seen whether a sequel (“For A Few Dollars Thor,” perhaps?) gets a greenlight, there’s one person for whom the film has been an unqualified success: its star, Australian actor Chris Hemsworth.
The 27-year-old veteran of soap opera “Home & Away” was a relative unknown to American audiences when he landed the role — aside from brief roles in “Star Trek” and the underrated thriller “A Perfect Getaway” — but his performance as the Norse god turned superhero has firmly landed him on the A-list: as we said in yesterday’s “the Good, the Bad and the Ugly” feature, he’s easily the best thing in the film and a bona fide leading man was born. Now that his press duties on “Thor” are done, the actor’s off reprising the role in “Marvel’s The Avengers,” but it looks like he’s also close to locking his follow-up gig down, as Variety now reports that the actor is officially in talks to star in Universal‘s troubled project “Snow White and the Huntsman.”
The film, a retelling of the classic fairy tale which places the woodsman who is meant to bump off the titular princess front and center in a sort of buddy movie, was one of the biggest spec sales of last year, with the studio immediately putting it on the fast track, and placing super-hot commercials director Rupert Sanders at the helm. They managed to fill most parts with relative ease, with Charlize Theron set to play the evil queen, Kristen Stewart as Snow White, and “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” star Sam Clafin landing the role of the prince last week. But the more prominent role of the huntsman, Eric, has been trickier.
Tom Hardy was the first to field an offer, opting instead for “The Dark Knight Rises,” while Johnny Depp and Michael Fassbender followed. Viggo Mortensen was in advanced talks for the project, but bailed at the last minute, while Hugh Jackman was next to turn it down, and fellow Aussie Joel Edgerton was also being courted, but opted for Kathryn Bigelow‘s “Kill Bin Laden” instead, and the project started to have something of a whiff around it.
With Tarsem‘s rival project “The Brothers Grimm: Snow White,” a film with a six month head start on the release schedule, gearing up to shoot with Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Armie Hammer and Nathan Lane, it was starting to look like make-or-break time for the Huntsman project, so it’s fortunate that they seem to be closer to landing a star in Hemsworth, who was reported to be a front-runner for the part a few weeks back, although it’s notable that he’s significantly younger than recent actors courted for the role, suggesting the extent to which Universal have had to widen their search.
Assuming there aren’t any last minute snags like there were with Mortensen — scheduling conflicts with “The Avengers” seem to have been worked out now — the film’s now on target to make its September start date, with only the role of Finn, the queen’s henchman, set to be cast. “Snow White and the Huntsman” will hit theaters on the plum date of December 21st, 2012, when we’ll find out if it can vanquish not only the rival “Snow White” project (which, to be fair, is quite different, much broader in tone and more family-friendly, closer to “The Princess Bride“), but also the first part of “The Hobbit” which is tentatively set for release around the same time.
wtf..Touching ourselves thinking about the guy british guy with gay hair.?wow…lol..clever…don\’t act like you dont know his name,you fantasize about his girlfriend. like a loser you are hahahahah.
p.s. i love the playlist!
How do you know every film project Kristen doe\’s get\’s shit on by fans unless your a kristen fan who sees everything in her fandom,eh? shes a terrible actress just like rob is a terrible actor.Don\’t act so stupid like a your a regular nobody who doesn\’t know the fandom when your part of it yourself loser.your a Kristen fan.and this project sounds terrible which is why so many highly respected male actors passed on this crap.Snow tw…hite light…a love triangle(how original) .this is the same problem pattinson has,he\’s doing a cronenberg film yet they couldn\’t cast a great young actress for his wife.They had to go unknown because respected people in the industry don\’t want to be tainted with bad franchise actors and the shit that comes with them.
I saw \’Thor\’ and Chris Hemsworth was damn good. I thought he was going to be a talentless meat-head but I was wrong, the guy is actually gifted and is really good. Look forward to seeing him in this project.
Damn. This comment section is riddled with weirdo Twilight fans that probably touch themselves when thinking of that British guy with gay hair and thus feel the need to shit on everything the girl Kristen Stewart is involved in. *sigh* Such is the world, sexually suppressed female \”fans\” are the worst.
I wish all the cast-members and crew involved in \’Snow white and the huntsman\’ luck and patients with the loonie \”fans\”
@anon..moron..douchson. What\’s your point about the razzies,huh? he\’ll still be rich and living the dream you wish you had but are to much of a loser to ever accomplish anything other then talk shit on the net. All you have is the internet to vent out but in reality,you wouldn\’t say shit to anybody except keep your head down like the clown you are. Hollywood is full of mediocrity including stewart and hemsworth who neither can act worth a shit themselves. Not just Rob who i can admit as a fan isn\’t that good of an actor.But so what? i can name many worse who are consider great(brad pitt).And sparkling fairy?..wow..lol..how cool are you baby! Hate all you want sweetie if it make\’s you feel better .This is all you can do..lmfao! and kristen got nominated for a razzie too.so i guess we will see both of them at the award,hug?lol..p.s.i hope rob is having fun working with david cronenberg instead of doing terrible shit like snow white and the huntsman..Hahaha
@anon.i really hope you are 12. please grow up. anyway i liked chris in thor, but i\’ll wait to see a trailer for this one. i read that this snow white will be a darker version, and the julia roberts one will be like a light-hearted one. i mean nathan lane is going to be in that one. so maybe that is the one that will go the princess bride route.
@rob fan and proud We\’ll see you when the Playlist announces the Razzies for next year. Chris Thor Hemsworth is the man!!! Stewart better step up.
@anon,robert pattinson will get a blow job from your mother tonight. .hahahahaha…and max,tell your mother thanks..lmfao
Kstew is such an awful actress.Good luck chris,your gonna need it.the whole twi cast is terrible.
Love triangle explains why no older actors were comfortable taking the part. No one wants to see a forty year old guy mack on KStew. I wish Charlize Theron the best of luck.
@Max Robert Pattinson will star in Snow White and the sparkle fairy due out in 2013 on the hallmark channel.
Hell yeah!!! Chris Hemsworth and Rupert Xbox Sanders.
@max, dont really know what rob has to do with this movie, but ok? anyway if this version of snow white opens up aginst the hobbit there is no way it can beat it. the hobbit has been the movie that many have been looking foward to since the lotr ended.
*they can pull it off.
Don\’t know about this guy, never seen him in anything. I just find all these Don\’t do it Chris comments funny, you\’ve seen him in one movie. I like that this could go The Princess Bride route, hopefully it can pull it off. Still, both these Snow White\’s are sketchy, have to wait and see.
Don\’t do it Chris. 🙁
You couldn\’t pay me to see Stewart \”act\” – more like \”mope\” – in a movie.
I hope they cast famous comedians as the seven dwarves!
The script is good, Kristen Stewart will make a badass SW, I think the main reason so many actors passed on this is the other SW being released just 6 months before. And money. They want more moneeeehh.
Everyone but Rob Pattinson. I\’m just happy that Rob isn\’t it it, he is so bad.
So what if he\’s younger, easier to play up the romance aspect and he\’s still got the body of an action hero.
Chris, come on.
There\’s a reason why all the male talent have taken a pass on this. It\’s shit!
3 words – just say no.