A new trailer has been released for the 2018 live action film that promises a darker side to the story that audiences know well…

Having brought audiences Beauty and the Beast this year, it seems safe to bet that Disney are hoping this live action film of The Nutcracker and The Four Realms is equally based on  E.T.A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker and the Mouse King  as it is on Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet. But how much of each the film uses remains to be seen as this trailer seems to suggest a much darker side to the story that could be unexpected.

While the film is not due to be released until November 2018, this trailer does suggest that Disney will be offering up another lavish film filled with magic. Judging by the trailer, there seems to be an almost Alice in Wonderland or Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe mysteriousness about the film which will hopefully enchant children.

But Disney is also not afraid to mix things up and it seems that there are plenty of unexpected surprises along the way and transforming the story for a more modern audience – whether or not this will work in the long run remains to be seen but will hopefully add additional depth to the story.

Directed by  Lasse Hallström, the film is also set to feature quite a mixture of people in its cast including beloved comedian Jack Whitehall as Harlequin, Helen Mirren as Mother Ginger, Morgan Freeman as Drosselmeyer  and Keira Knightly as the Sugarplum Fairy – it is going to be interesting to see what each person brings to their roles.

Given that Disney have quite a few big releases coming out in 2018 including The Incredibles 2 and Mary Poppins Returns, it will be fascinating to see how audiences will react to the company’s take on the beloved Christmas tale…

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms will be released in November 2018.