It's common that parents read fairy tales to their children to help them go to sleep. When you're little, you dream of being swept away by a prince like Cinderella or never grow up like Peter Pan in Neverland.
Disney took a majority of popular fairy tales and remade them into animated films that were a part of many childhoods. As time went on, these fairy tales were re-imagined into live-action films and television series. Some of these adaptations aren't all sweet and glittery, but they took a new spin on some favorites. Here are ten ranked films and television series that re-imagined the classic tales.
Red Riding Hood (5.4)
The wolf with big teeth would scare anyone. The iconic fairy tale was re-imagined as a 2011 American romantic horror film, Red Riding Hood, starring Amanda Seyfried, Shiloh Fernandez and Max Irons in the title roles.
Valerie (Seyfried) lives with her family in a small village that borders a forest plagued by a werewolf. She is in love with Peter (Fernandez) but is promises to the son of the blacksmith, Henry (Irons). One day the Wolf breaks its promise and kills Valerie's sister. The town goes on a hunt, but they never expected the Wolf's identity.
Snow White And The Huntsman (6.1)
The tale of "Snow White" gets a dark fantasy twist in the film Snow White and the Huntsman. The film follows a lot of the same story elements but it put a bigger focus on Eric the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth). Ravenna (Charlize Theron) is a powerful sorceress who enchants the widowed King Magnus and murders him.
As she takes over his kingdom, Snow White (Kristen Stewart) is imprisoned in a tower for many years. Raveena learns from the Magic Mirror that Snow White will bring her downfall. Now an adult, Snow White manages to escape to the Dark Forest before she is killed. Eric the Huntsman is sent after her and is promised a valuable reward.
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (6.1)
Many can recall the terrifying story of two children who are lured to a witch's home to be eaten. Hansel and Gretel get a makeover in the 2013 film Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. Jeremy Renner stars as Hansel and Gemma Arterton as Gretel.
The siblings manage to escape the treacherous hold of the witch who captured them when they were children. Now adults, they are trained witch hunters who are immune to their spells. They arrive in a remote town after being hired by its mayor to investigate their missing children, presumed to be the work of witches.
Jack The Giant Slayer (6.2)
The 2013 film, Jack the Giant Slayer took a fun fantasy adventure twist on the tale of "Jack and the Beanstalk". Jack (Nicholas Hoult) is a simple farm boy in the Kingdom of Cloister. He soon meets Princess Isabella in the town square and becomes enamored by her.
In exchange for his horse, Jack is given magic beans. Isabella quarrels with her father and runs away and seeks shelter in Jack's home. The heavy rain causes one of the beans to sprout into an enormous stalk. Unknowingly, the stalk reaches a hidden land full of giants.
Once Upon A Time (6.2)
The ABC fantasy adventure drama, Once Upon a Time garnered many fans with its intriguing and eye-catching twist on popular fairy tales. For the first six seasons, the show takes place in Storybrooke, Maine. The main characters are Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) and Regina Mills (Lana Parilla), who is actually the Evil Queen from "Snow White".
The show is based on a town whose residents are all characters from fairy tales. They were brought to the real world by the Evil Queen and robbed of their memories. They have been under her control for 28 years. Their only hope is a bail-bonds worker named Emma. Emma is the daughter of Snow White.
Peter Pan (6.8)
When parents told the story of Peter Pan, children only dreamed of never having to become adults. In 2003, the never-aging boy was brought to life in Peter Pan. Wendy (Rachel Hurd-Wood )likes to tell fairy tales to her younger siblings but is being forced to grow up by her aunt.
One night Peter Pan (Jeremy Sumpter) is chasing his shadow and lands in Wendy's room. He takes the siblings to Neverland to meet the Lost Boys. Tinker Bell (Ludivine Sagnier), of course, is jealous of the new girl. Peter Pan's nemesis, Hook (Jason Isaacs) comes to ruin the festivities and finally beat him after using Tinker Bell against him.
Cinderella (6.9)
This isn't the first film to take the story of Cinderella and Prince Charming and re-adapt it. In 2015, they seem to have gotten something right in bringing the famous glass slipper princess to life. Cinderella followed the story of Ella (Lilly James) who is left is the maid to her stepsister and stepmother after her father's death.
One day, she meets Kit (Richard Madden), the crown prince, although he hides his identity. In order to find her again, Kit holds a ball open to all eligible maidens. With the help of her Fairy Godmother (Helena Bonham), Ella turns into a gorgeous princess. You can guess what happens next in this classic tale.
Beauty And The Beast (7.1)
Walt Disney Pictures continued to create live-action films of famous fairy tales and "Beauty and the Beast" was next. In 2017, the film Beauty and the Beast starred Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as Beast. Belle is seen as an outcast in her village because of her thirst for knowledge. She is constantly wooed by Gaston (Luke Evans) but wants nothing to do with his marriage proposal.
One day her father doesn't return from his trip and ventures to find him. She stumbles upon the Beast's castle. In exchange for her father, she becomes his prisoner. Will Belle be able to warm Beast's cold heart to love again and break the spell?
Beauty & The Beast (7.1)
The "Beauty and the Beast" tale was also developed into a science fiction police procedure show on the CW. Beauty & the Beast follows the story of Catherine Chandler (Kristin Kreuk). She witnessed her mother's murder but was saved by someone or something. Years later, she is an NYPD detective and meets Vincent Keller (Jay Ryan).
Keller is presumed dead during his military service but isn't. Catherine soon discovers that Vincent isn't all human and there is a bigger experimental conspiracy at play.
Tell Me A Story (7.2)
Tell Me A Story is a dark and twisted anthology show that takes your beloved fairy tales and turned them into a psychological thriller. Set in New York City, the show's first season interweaves the characters and storylines of "Red Riding Hood", "The Three Little Pigs" and "Hansel and Gretel."
The first season is a subversive tale of love, greed and murder. Set in Nashville, the second season uses "Beauty and the Beast", "Sleeping Beauty" and "Cinderella."