Kristen Stewart's incarnation of Snow White portrays her as an oppressed prisoner of war, banged up from an early age in the North Tower of her family citadel.

Her evil stepmother, Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron), tricked the widowed king into marriage, and out came a dagger on the wedding night, bringing the kingdom under her black and embittered sway.

The wrinkles are starting to show, but Ravenna has a ready supply of young maidens whose souls she sucks to return her visage smoothness.

Debuting director Rupert Sanders, who comes at this with an eager pedigree in wham-bam commercials, has his eye on the Goth teenage-crossover market. This explains the casting of Stewart, who is asked to do a bloodless retread of Twilight duties.