Gothic Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood - A Darker Vision of Children's Fairy Tales

No, that’s not Ellen Page from Hard Candy, even though they share a common affinity for crimson cloaks.

You may have heard the story earlier this month saying that they are working on a new movie that will be a “Gothic retelling” of the classic Lil Red Riding Hood tale. They’ve even named a director to helm the project, though it’s hard to say whether this film will ever make it to the silver screen.

As it turns out, there have been several versions of Little Red Riding Hood over the years and most of us are only familiar with the version by the Brothers Grimm. In that version, we get a happy ending and the wolf is killed. However, in earlier versions of the story, the wolf actually prevails.

The Wicked Wolf as the Antihero?

The wolf tricks Little Red Riding Hood into telling him the whereabouts of her grandmother and how to circumvent the nearby woodsmen. He eventually eats both the grandmother and Lil Red, escaping any harm and coming out as the victor. There is no happy ending.

That’s certainly a lot darker than the “happy” version that we’ve come to know and recognize. Presumably, the new movie would be largely inspired by one of these older versions of the fairy tale, possibly showing us how evil can come out on top.

Her Hood is Red for a Reason

This potential new movie isn’t the only project that is turning classic children’s fairy tales into much darker fare. You might remember me writing about Fairytale Fights, an upcoming video game where you take on the role of a character not unlike Lil Red Riding Hood.

However, you’re not there to deliver some muffins. Instead, you go about bludgeoning and slashing everything in sight. You get an incredibly bloody mess and you are even encouraged to slaughter children. Again, that’s very different from the Lil Red that most of us know.

The Appeal of the Dark Side

Personally, I like these slightly twisted views on what we would otherwise consider to be light and airy fare. They get us to look at things in a completely different way, offering a wholly unique perspective that is dark, brooding, Gothic, and terribly macabre.

This is partly why I enjoy darker comics, like those that inspired the Watchmen and The Dark Knight movies. This is also why I enjoyed the movies with Robin Williams where he played a much darker role, like he did in One Hour Photo and Insomnia.

Are you mildly disturbed by the possibility of a Gothic Red Riding Hood? Would you love to see such a movie produced? I would!