Earlier this week we reported Tom Hardy was being considered for the lead role in Universal’s Snow White and the Huntsman, a new take on Snow White in which she flees from her evil stepmother alongside the gruff but kind-hearted Huntsman. Hardy has a pretty full plate in the coming months with roles in This Means War, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and The Dark Knight Rises, which made his involvement with this chain-gang twist on Snow White iffy. Now, Playlist has revealed Hardy’s schedule has proved too inflexible and Johnny Depp is being pursued for the role of the Huntsman-cum-father figure/mentor.

However, as the project hopes to shoot in early 2011, this could conflict with Depp’s purported role in Tim Burton’sDark Shadows, which may or may not go into production next year. If Burton’s Shadow is a go, it’s likely Depp with ditch Snow White and the search for the Huntsman will resume.

In other casting news, a huge open casting call is scouring the U.K. in search of a yet unknown ingénue to play the pale-face princess, and early rumors had posited Angelina Jolie as a possibility for the murderous evil stepmother, Ravenna. Now it seems Charlize Theron is in the race for the role of the wicked woman.

With Universal hoping to go into production in little more than two months time, casting decisions should be announced soon – especially if they want to beat Relativity’s The Brothers Grimm: Snow White to theaters.

Snow White and the Huntsman hopes to hit theaters December 21, 2012.

Who would you like to see play The Huntsman and Ravenna?

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