Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, it features an ensemble cast that includes Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Tracey Ullman, Christine Baranski and Johnny Depp.

The film is centered on a childless couple who set out to end a curse placed on them by a vengeful witch, and the characters are forced to experience the unintended consequences of their actions.

The Baker and his wife have a son; Cinderella marries the Prince; Rapunzel is freed from the Witch by the Prince's brother, whom she marries; Jack provides for his mother by stealing riches from the Giant in the sky, courtesy of the beanstalk, and kills the pursuing Giant by cutting down the beanstalk; and Red Riding Hood and her grandmother are saved from the Big Bad Wolf.

The growth of a second beanstalk from the last remaining magic bean allows the Giant's widow to climb down and threaten the kingdom if no one delivers Jack in retribution for killing her husband.

Casting all the remaining beans away, the Witch begs her mother to punish her again, and she abandons the group by melting into a large pit of boiling tar.

The remaining characters resolve to kill the threatening Giant's widow, though they discuss the complicated morality of retribution and revenge in the process.

[28] Other changes include a major reduction of the significant role of the "mysterious man", who manipulates much of the action in the first act and is eventually revealed to be the Baker's father.

Due to the film's compressed story line, Rapunzel's pregnancy is eliminated, as is the subplot where the two princes have affairs with Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.

[30] By 1991, Columbia Pictures and Jim Henson Productions were also developing a film adaptation with Craig Zadan as producer and Rob Minkoff as director.

[31][32] In 1997, Columbia put the film into turnaround, with Minkoff still attached as director, and Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, and Susan Sarandon reportedly in talks to star.

Marshall was initially interested in adapting Follies and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Sondheim suggested Into the Woods instead.

In 2011, Marshall's interest in the project was rekindled when he heard a speech by President Barack Obama on the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks to the families of the victims, which seemed to evoke the same message as the musical's most important song, "No One Is Alone".

[18][48][49] Marshall later confirmed that Blunt was selected for her "warm[th]" and likeability to ensure the emotional impact of the sudden death of the Baker's Wife: "[T]hat's very important for that character because it's the heart of the piece and you really have to love her so when she's gone it should feel like a kick in the gut.

[55] The announcement of Brownlee's casting, which was widely reported but never confirmed by Disney, was criticized as "a stunt" and was met with concern due to her age and the sexual undertones between Little Red and the Wolf.

"[61] The casting of Richard Glover, Frances de la Tour, Simon Russell Beale, Joanna Riding, and Annette Crosbie in other roles was separately announced later on September 16.

[62] Principal photography took place at London's Shepperton Studios in September 2013, with additional filming at Dover Castle, Hambleden, Waverley Abbey,[63][64][65] and Richmond Park.

[68] Marshall struggled with how to stage the melodramatic duet "Agony" in the forest until discovering online that Windsor had an artificial waterfall at Virginia Water Lake, which turned out to be the perfect setting.

[68] The production was shot digitally, using Arri Alexa cameras configured in a two-camera setup,[62] and footage was edited together in Avid Media Composer.

[70] King also dyed the wefts to match Mauzy's hair color, and blended together six different shades from ash and strawberry to create realistic gradations and highlights.

[70] A stuntman was used to shoot the hair-climbing scenes,[54] with thin rope and metal rings the only tools concealed in the braid to hold a climbing person's weight.

[52] Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released the film on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download in North America on March 24, 2015.

The site's consensus reads: "On the whole, this Disney adaptation of the Sondheim classic sits comfortably at the corner of Hollywood and Broadway—even if it darkens to its detriment in the final act.

"[103] The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the film "benefits from respect for the source material, enticing production values and a populous gallery of sharp character portraits from a delightful cast".

Scott Mendelson of Forbes gave a positive review declaring the film "Rob Marshall's best movie ever" and praised it for its genuine entertainment and strong cast performances.

[107] Richard Corliss of Time gave a positive review, stating that the film was a "smart, appealing, upside-down children's story for adults of all ages".

[108] Gregory Ellwood of HitFix tapped Streep as an Academy Award contender in the Best Supporting Actress category, and also praised the performance of Chris Pine.

[109] Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair,[110] Karen D'Souza of the San Jose Mercury News,[111] and Dana Stevens of Slate[112] all published critical reviews of the film.

[110][111][112] Stevens characterized the result as a "generic dystopian bummer,"[112] while Lawson criticized the film as a "dutiful but perfunctory adaptation" that lacked "genuine heart".

[110] Paul Katz of The Huffington Post felt the change in tone between the last two acts was too abrupt, and also criticized the film's faithfulness to the stage musical.

[113] Conversely, Alyssa Rosenberg of The Washington Post disliked the performances by Streep and Depp, while simultaneously calling the film's first two acts a "surprising delight".