Julia Roberts in Talks for 'Snow White' Queen

Julia Robertsis reportedly in talks to play the evil queen inThe Brothers Grimm: Snow White, an edgy, modernized re-imagining of the German folk tale to be directed by visionary filmmaker Tarsem Singh (The Fall) for Relativity Media.

Vulturesays Roberts’ representation has begun“negotiating in earnest” for the opportunity. Brett Ratner, who is producing, said this version reaches back 500 years to the original incarnation of the story, when the seven dwarfs were robbers (not miners) and there was a dragon.

The news strikes at a time when Universal is actively casting and moving ahead on their own fairy tale,Snow White and the Huntsman, which has Charlie Theron attached to play the same vain, villainous character. Kristen Stewart and Viggo Mortensen are negotiating for the titular leads, though nothing is quite official yet.

Meanwhile, Disney’sSnow and the Seven, yet another re-imagining, has just hired screenwriter Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3,Little Miss Sunshine) to tell the story of a 19th century Englishwoman who returns to Hong Kong for her father’s funeral where she discovers her stepmother is plotting against her. She escapes to China where she’s protected by seven monks. Natalie Portman has long been interested in the lead and Francis Lawrence was once attached to direct.

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