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When most people think of "fairy tales," sugarcoated stories and happy endings generally come to mind. What most people don't realize is that the real fairy tales from writers such as Hans Christian Andersen and the Grimm brothers are dark, often macabre morality tales, where the endings are gruesome as frequently as they are happy.

That is why it is so appropriate to put director Terry Gilliam at the helm of The Brothers Grimm, a story loosely based on the lives of Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm and Wilhelm Carl Grimm. In the past, the former Monty Python troupe member put his twisted and offbeat touch on films such as The Fisher King, 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and most famously, Brazil, so he seems a natural choice for what should be a most unusual project.

Based on a screenplay by Ehren Kruger (Arlington Road, The Ring), the movie will revolve around Jake (Heath Ledger) and Will Grimm (Matt Damon), brothers and well-known collectors of folklore. The pair has developed quite a reputation due to their ability to travel from village to village and rid each one of various enchanted creatures. It's actually all a sham, though, and their abilities and credibility are called into question when they are called to investigate a forest where girls are mysteriously disappearing. They uncover clues that lead them to a sorceress, and their adventures that follow will very closely mirror a number of the real life stories by the Grimms.

Two of the villains the brothers will face in their undertakings are Delatombe (Jonathan Pryce) and Cavaldi (Robin Williams). The inimitable Peter Stormare will also play a supporting role.

The planned budget for The Brothers Grimm, which will be filmed in the Czech Republic, is expected to be in excess of $75 million. As such, there should be plenty of eye candy and special effects, complemented with that dark touch that Gilliam does so well. Though the director's films are sometimes too off-center to appeal to a mainstream audience, the source material is so beloved that it may be one of his better opportunities to break out.
(Kim Hollis/BOP)

September 29, 2003
Sexy Eurotart Monica Belluci has been added to the cast as an evil queen. Mmmmmmmm, naughty, naughty Monica in a white rubber Matrix dress. (Calvin Trager/BOP)

Vital statistics for The Brothers Grimm Main Cast Matt Damon, Heath Ledger Supporting Cast Monica Bellucci, Jonathan Pryce, Lena Headey, Peter Stormare, Mackenzie Cook, Richard Ridings Director Terry Gilliam Screenwriter Ehren Kruger Distributor Dimension Trailer Click Here for Trailer Official Site http://www.miramax.com/thebrothersgrimm/ Rating PG-13 Running Time 120 minutes Screen Count 3,087 Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture

Comparison films for The Brothers Grimm
Title	Date	Opening	Adjusted Opening	Screens	PSA	Adj PSA	Total BO	Adjusted Total	Mult
James and the Giant Peach	4/12/96	7.54	10.28	2262	3333.00	4373.6	29.82	40.68	3.95
Edward Scissorhands	12/14/90	6.33	9.04	1080	5861.00	8055.4	53.98	77.13	8.53
Nightmare Before Christmas, The	10/22/93	6.24	9.08	1654	3773.00	5285.8	50.00	72.82	7.96
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas	5/22/98	3.41	4.38	1126	3028.00	3744.6	10.56	13.57	2.43