The cast includes Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, and Bob Hoskins in his final film performance.

In the film's retelling of the tale, Snow White grows up imprisoned by her evil stepmother, Queen Ravenna, a powerful sorceress.

A sequel, titled The Huntsman: Winter's War, directed by the first film's visual effects supervisor Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, was released on April 22, 2016, with Hemsworth, Theron, Claflin, and Nick Frost reprising their roles.

While admiring a bright red rose blooming during a white winter, Queen Eleanor of Tabor pricks her finger on its thorns.

Snow White's childhood friend William and his father, Duke Hammond, escape but are unable to rescue her, and she is locked away in a tower for years.

The Queen makes a bargain with Eric the Huntsman, a widower and drunkard, to capture her, promising to bring his wife back to life in exchange.

However, when Finn reveals that Ravenna does not actually have the power to revive the dead, the Huntsman helps Snow White escape.

The blind dwarf, Muir, perceives that Snow White is the only person who can end Ravenna's reign.

Ravenna disguises herself as William and tempts Snow White into eating a poisoned apple before fleeing.

When Ravenna is about to kill her, Snow White uses a move the Huntsman taught her and stabs her to death in the heart.

"[9] More problems came when the release of Terry Gilliam's The Brothers Grimm (2005) flopped at the box office which caused potential buyers to be hesitant about the script.

[9] Film producers considered casting a lesser-known actress for the role of Snow White, with mention of Riley Keough, Felicity Jones, Bella Heathcote, Alicia Vikander, Lily Collins, and Rachel Maxwell as possible picks.

The English band Florence and the Machine recorded "Breath of Life" exclusively for the film, which was reportedly inspired by Theron's character Queen Ravenna.

The site's consensus states: "While it offers an appropriately dark take on the fairy tale that inspired it, Snow White & the Huntsman is undone by uneven acting, problematic pacing, and a confused script.

But considering that I walked in expecting no complexity at all, let alone the visual wonderments, Snow White and the Huntsman is a considerable experience".

"[39] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "Ravenna hates living in a world where men can feed on women's beauty and then toss them away.

"[40] Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times said the film is, "an absolute wonder to watch and creates a warrior princess for the ages.

But what this revisionist fairy tale does not give us is a passionate love – its kisses are as chaste as the snow is white.

"[41] Rolling Stone's Peter Travers called it "a visual marvel" while noting that Stewart "morphs convincingly from a skittish girl into a determined warrior princess.

"[46] Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle called it "[a] slow, boring film that has no charm and is highlighted only by a handful of special effects and Charlize Theron's truly evil queen.

"[47] Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post also gave the film a negative review: "Overlong, overcrowded, overstimulating and with an over-the-top performance by Charlize Theron as the evil queen Ravenna, the movie is a virtual orchard of toxic excess, starting with the unnecessarily sprawling cast of characters.

"[48] Lisa Kennedy of The Denver Post gave the film two out of four stars and said, "Only Bob Hoskins as the blind seer Muir comes close to making us care.

"[49] Film Comment's Scott Foundas states that "Stewart’s Snow White... pouts her lips, bats her bedroom eyes, and scarcely seems to have more on her mind than who might take her to the senior prom—let alone the destiny of an entire kingdom.

[53] A 2012 report stated that Universal has authorized a sequel[54] and Stewart was set to reprise her role, but without Sanders to return as the director due to the scandal.

[57] On June 4, 2014, Deadline reported that Frank Darabont, Gavin O'Connor and Andrés Muschietti were on the shortlist to direct the sequel.

On July 31, 2014, the project was described as a prequel titled The Huntsman scheduled for April 22, 2016, which would not star Stewart as Snow White.