Disney's "Order of the Seven" Gathering Momentum

It's been on the development roundabout for about a decade now but it appears Order of the Seven is finally heading in a more solid direction now and that Disney is banking on the public being able to handle another Snow White story, albeit of a very different kind.

Order of the Seven is an action-adventure variation on Snow White but set in China, complete with a large dose of kung fu and other fighting styles (no word yet on if the fairy tale elements original director Francis Lawrence planned to use, will stay in play). The big news this week, is that Saoirse Ronan (Hanna, Atonement, The Lovely Bones) is in early negotiations to play the lead.


Here's a current synopsis from The Hollywood Reporter combined with details from BeyondHollywood:

In this iteration, the seven are a 19th century-set disparate band of international warriors belonging to a centuries-old order who have lost their way. They meet with an English ex-pat Olivia Sinclair, (Ronan) who is being chased by an ancient evil. She seeks the protection of a centureis old group of warriors, now jaded outlaws and proves to be the catalyst for their redemption. After the reemergence of an ancient evil empress, Sinclair helps the warriors reclaim their destiny and noble roots.

While the project is set in China, the warriors will be from locales near (the U.S.) and far (Russia), and each warrior will have a unique fighting style.

While it's natural to compare the idea to Seven Samuri and/or Magnificent Seven, we're told to expect it to be very different.

Commercials director and visual effects wizard Michael Graceyis directing the epic, which has a long development history — it was originally conceived as a revisionist East-meets-West Snow White tale.

So,in case you've been keeping this film on your radar, Natalie Portman and Jet Li are no longer attached but that may be a good thing. Ms. Ronan has proved she's tough enough to take on anything to do with a story like this. I wonder just where they will go with it? There are many, many variations to be inspired from!


Additional source: io9