Disney brings The Nutcracker to life with all the whimsical splendor it can muster in the new trailer for The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. The Mouse House has spared no expense in re-imagining E.T.A. Hoffman's story-turned Tchaikovsky ballet for its modern slate of live-action fairy tale movies, based on the latest footage.
Nutcracker and the Four Realms was directed by Lasse Hallström (Chocolat, A Dog's Purpose), before Joe Johnston (The Rocketeer, Captain America: The First Avenger) came aboard for reshoots. Lest anyone think this is a Justice League situation where the movie's original director was essentially replaced during reshoots, Johnston only filled in for Hallström because he was busy at the time with another project. Tthe pair have since agreed to share directing credit, thus solidifying the idea that the final version reflects their mutual creative vision. You can check out the latest Nutcracker trailer in the space above.
Related: Joe Johnston to Get Directing Credit on The Nutcracker
Judging by its trailers, The Nutcracker script by newcomer Ashleigh Powell shapes the story into a hero's journey that follows young Clara (Mackenzie Foy) into a parallel world on the eve of the winter holidays. There, she teams up with the Sugar Plum Fairy (Keira Knightley) and a soldier (Jayden Fowora-Knight) to restore order to things by doing battle with the tyrannical Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren). Of course, it wouldn't be The Nutcracker without at least a little ballet, which is where world-famous dancer Misty Copeland comes into play as "The Ballerina".
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms combines Hallström's gentle fairy tale storytelling with Johnston's technical showmanship to produce a movie that - in the trailers, anyway - certainly looks like a winter holiday confection. It will be interesting to see how the film's reception compares to other recent live-action Mouse House offerings, given that Disney fans don't have nostalgia for The Nutcracker the way they did for the smash hit remakes of The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast, for example.
Something else Disney has to account for here is Morgan Freeman, who plays Clara's godfather Drosselmeyer and is currently facing multiple allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct. As it happens, the character doesn't have a huge role in the film, so the Mouse House has elected to further downplay Freeman's involvement by leaving him out of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms one-sheet (see above). On the other hand, the Drosselmeyer character features rather prominently in the second theatrical trailer, so the studio isn't exactly trying to make his involvement here a secret. Time will tell how that approach works out for them.
MORE: Disney's Live-Action Dumbo Gets a Trailer
Source: Walt Disney Pictures
Key Release Dates The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018) release date: Nov 02, 2018
