Gretel & Hansel trailer teases a twisted makeover for a classic fairy tale

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

The Brothers Grimm tale “Hansel and Gretel” has been told time and time again in countless varieties over the last 200 years, including one where Hansel grows up to be Hawkeye, dresses in boiled leathers and fights demons professionally. But there is something unsettling in the story that has captured our interest for so long, and the first trailer for the new iteration from director Osgood Perkins (THE BLACKCOAT’S DAUGHTER) – GRETEL & HANSEL – teases a sinister spin on the classic tale. 

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As it's highlighted on the poster below, this is a "Grim" fairy tale both in source and style. Going for more maliciousness rather than fantastical horror, there's plenty of twisted imagery and cultish goings-on that hint at something A24 would be interested in. When it comes to such a well-known story this isn't a bad way to approach the material, especially if it means finding a way to make this story about a woman who is fattening children up to cook them seem scary again. 

I'm not a big fan of BLACKCOAT'S DAUGHTER, the movie that put Perkins on the map with horror fans, but this looks like something that let him stretch his legs a bit and expand his talents. The movie stars Sophia Lillis and Sammy Leakey as the title brother and sister, with Alice Krige playing Holda, the wicked figure who lures them in with sweets. 

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Here’s the synopsis:

A long time ago in a distant fairytale countryside, a young girl (Sophia Lillis, It) leads her little brother (Sammy Leakey) into a dark wood in desperate search of food and work, only to stumble upon a nexus of terrifying evil.

GRETEL & HANSEL is in theaters on January 31, 2020.