The Hollywood Reporter say talks between Universal and
Viggo Mortensen broke down on Thursday night and the LOTR actor looks to have dropped his interest in playing The Huntsman role in
Snow White and the Huntsman, a fantasy re-imagining of the classic fable which has
Kirsten Stewart attached as Snow White to be tormented by
Charlize Theron's Evil Queen. A rumour is circulating that Mortensen's $8 million fee (plus a gross participation %) was always seen as too much in Universal's eye for the actor who has chosen post-Aragon to be a leading man in profound, character-driven fare over enjoying a mainstream, commercial career. Which is why we thought his attachment to a live-action Snow White movie was so peculiar in the first place. THR also suggest recent reports that the actor was a
'person of interest' at Warner Bros for the Superman villain role in
Zack Snyder's forthcoming reboot were brought about, perhaps, as a bit of a naughty negotiation ploy to put pressure on Universal to come up with the money - as the story circulated when talks first broke broke down between the two parties. Snow White Producer
Joe Roth is now scrambling around for a replacement and essentially he is casting the part for the fifth time after losing out on Tom Hardy, Johnny Depp and Michael Fassbender, who he previously had set his eyes on. And then there's the added pressure too of
Tarsem Singh's own Snow White re-imagining -
The Brothers Grimm: Snow White which has
Julia Roberts set to lead as the Evil Queen looming over his head, and will be released a whole six months before Snow White and the Huntsman (Grimm due June 29th 2012, Huntsmen Dec 21st) and is probably looking for an actor to play the same role right now.
I imagine Roth won't be enjoying much of a weekend off and will be making a fair few phone calls today to find a suitable leading man who has a free schedule and with Stewart/Theron still attached, the first time feature from commercials helmer
Rupert Sanders is still in a healthy position, considering. Ironically, Mortensen who probably wasn't at all interested in the Superman movie when the stories of his interest were circling a few weeks back, now has a free schedule and could be. So he's probably yours for $8 million and a few strings attached Mr. Snyder. He would make a terrific Zod... but then again so would
Edgar Ramirez and
Michael Shannon, and they might not cost so much....