Disney’s latest animated feature, Big Hero 6, opens in theaters tomorrow, but the Mouse House has one more 2014 tentpole waiting in the rafters. That would be Into the Woods, the studio’s star-studded film adaptation of the beloved Broadway stage musical written by multiple Tony-winner James Lapine (Passion) and featuring music and lyrics by musical theater icon, as well as Tony-winner and Oscar-winner, Stephen Sondheim (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street).

The original Into the Woods movie teaser trailer fell more on the atmospheric side, but the newly-unveiled second theatrical preview (which you can watch above) focuses on both selling the film’s eye candy and offering some insight on the story (for those who are newcomers to this musical blending of various fairy tales).


Into the Woods, as the new trailer explains, tells the tale of an ordinary Baker (future Late Late Show host James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt), who must venture into the vast and mysterious woods, in order to collect the items necessary to undo a witch’s (Meryl Streep) curse that has left them childless.

However, in doing so, the unsuspecting pair wind up on a collision course with several famous fairy tale characters – Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Jack (Daniel Huttleston), Rapunzel (Mackenzie Mauzy), and Little Red (Lilla Crawford) among them - who are likewise searching for a way to fulfill their own wishes. And the thing is, in this fantasy world, happy endings aren’t guaranteed…

into woods movie meryl streep Into the Woods Trailer #2 & Posters: Its Not Always a Happy Ending

Directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago, Nine) and envisioned for the big screen by a production team that includes several Oscar-winners – cinematographer Dion Beebe (Chicago, Edge of Tomorrow), production designer Dennis Gassner (Big Fish, Skyfall), and costumer designer Colleen Atwood (Alice in Wonderland, Snow White and the Huntsman) among them – Into the Woods looks pretty great in trailer form; that much most of us should be able to agree on.

Question is, how faithful will Marshall’s musical movie be to the dark, adult, and often poignant stage show that inspired it – and will the original, thematically-rich, source musical translate well into cinema, after having been processed through the big ol’ Disney machine? The trailer footage is encouraging, while the names among the cast and crew speak for themselves, so fingers crossed the final product is worthy of all the hype-building.

In the meantime, enjoy these Into the Woods moving character posters (courtesy of Moviefone), featuring the film’s main cast – and yes, that includes Johnny Depp as the part human/part animal known as “The Wolf.”

into woods baker poster Into the Woods Trailer #2 & Posters: Its Not Always a Happy Ending

into woods bakers wife poster Into the Woods Trailer #2 & Posters: Its Not Always a Happy Ending

into woods cinderella poster Into the Woods Trailer #2 & Posters: Its Not Always a Happy Ending

into woods jack poster Into the Woods Trailer #2 & Posters: Its Not Always a Happy Ending

into woods red riding hood poster Into the Woods Trailer #2 & Posters: Its Not Always a Happy Ending

into woods prince poster Into the Woods Trailer #2 & Posters: Its Not Always a Happy Ending

into woods rapunzel poster Into the Woods Trailer #2 & Posters: Its Not Always a Happy Ending

into woods other prince poster Into the Woods Trailer #2 & Posters: Its Not Always a Happy Ending

into woods witch poster Into the Woods Trailer #2 & Posters: Its Not Always a Happy Ending

into woods wolf poster Into the Woods Trailer #2 & Posters: Its Not Always a Happy Ending

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Into the Woods opens in U.S. theaters on December 25th, 2014.