Even without footage, U makes a footprint in 'Snow White'

It was bold of Universal to bring "Snow White and the Huntsman" to Comic-Con, seeing as shooting hasn't yet started on the fantasy epic that will represent Kristen Stewart's biggest post-Twilight role.

What they brought instead was the cast, character images (embedded here) and an impressive array of reels by rookie director Rupert Sanders -- reels including the the mindbending "Call of Duty: Black Ops" commercial featuring a bunch of random stars like Kobe Bryant and Jimmy Kimmel, and a Halo 3 trailer that may have been the most heart-pounding sci-fi action sequence shown anywhere at Comic-Con this year.

Sanders then presented a test reel for "Huntsman," something he created to show that "it’s not a little girl sitting around a well with tweety birds … this is all the down-and-dirty filmmaking that got us here." A narrator recited ominous poetry over the various images of faraway castles, wolves and warriors, a girl with an apple and lots of indecipherably surreal setpieces that foretell a challenging, cerebral fantasy movie on the horizon.

If Universal really is hopeful that "Snow White and the Huntsman" (fast becoming "SWATH" in fan parlance) was in the market for a new franchise, credit is due them for taking a chance on a first-time feature director. His visions for "Snow White" are sweeping and dark and tactile, and his talent for propulsive action is evident in all of his commercial efforts.

The studio lost a spirited game of calendar leapfrog earlier this year with Relativity, whose own "Snow White" project from Tarsem Singh will bow 10 weeks ahead of "SWATH" next year. But Universal stole some of that thunder back in San Diego, putting stars Stewart, Charleze Theron and Chris Hemsworth on the stage with Sanders for a panel that was as playful as one can expect for a cast that had just met one another.

Theron, who will play the murderous evil queen, was the instigator, kicking off a repartee/fake rivalry with Stewart that the co-star gamely joined. "I'm ready for it bitch. Let's go!" Theron said at one point, later describing her character as deeply evil. "I'm basically preparing to play a serial killer," she said. "Watch out Kristin."

--Josh L. Dickey

 The dwarfs of 'SWATH'