Exclusive Details Of Jessica Chastain's Character In The Snow White And The Huntsman Sequel

When word broke yesterday of Jessica Chastain's casting in The Huntsman, a sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman, the trade papers were quick to say the details of her role are being kept secret. Only The Wrap offered any tangible information, describing Chastain's character as being a love interest to Chris Hemsworth's lead. I can start by backing that up. In fact, The Warp cleverly word their description of the basic plot too, saying that the movie "expands the universe established in the first film to reveal how the fates of two characters, the Huntsman Eric and Ravenna, intersected before they met Snow White." This description seems to be in step with ongoing reports that the film is a prequel. But it isn't. Not really. There are scenes, for sure, that take place before the first film and fulfill the function described by The Wrap. These scenes will establish the promised backstory, but there are also scenes that take place afterwards. Nothing is ever certain until the film is locked, but the information we have say the flashback scenes are in the minority and, for the most part, this film is a pretty direct follow on. And the casting of Chastain backs this up as the role is being described as a lead. I can tell you that she's going to appear in the "present day" sequences, and that a young actress will be cast to play the same character as a girl. To not give too much away about the specifics, we'll be shown that The Huntsman is one of a group of well trained ranger-types. Chastain will be playing another of this group. Her specialty is with the bow - bows are still in, it seems - but she's got a couple of other tricks up her sleeve too. For a big portion of the film, Chastain and Hemsworth's characters will be chasing a magical MacGuffin, trying to get control of it if before Emily Blunt's evil, frosty Queen. Fans of the first film might have fun trying to guess what that MacGuffin is. The Huntsman is set to shoot over the summer for a release in April 2016. Chastain is some good added value, and I'm hopeful that the film is going to offer an interesting new riff on what came before.