Into the Woods – movie synopsis
Disney's Into the Woods follows a childless baker and his wife who set off to procure magical items from four classic fairy tales in an attempt to reverse a witch's curse
Once upon a time in a far-off kingdom when the baker (James Corden) was just a child, his father (Simon Russell Beale) was caught stealing magic beans from the vegetable garden of a witch (Meryl Streep).
As punishment for losing the precious beans, the witch was placed under a curse which made her hideous in appearance. The witch, in turn, cast an evil spell on the baker’s household, cruelly ensuring that he and his wife would be incapable of having a child.
Years later, when the baker and his wife (Emily Blunt) learn of the curse, they venture into the woods to seek out the ingredients which will both reverse the spell and restore the witch’s beauty.
By the time the blue moon rises in three days’ time, something which only occurs once every 100 years, they must return with four items: a cow as white as milk, hair as yellow as corn, a cape as red as blood and a slipper as pure as gold.
On their journey into the woods, they encounter: Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) fleeing the palace in a pair of gold slippers; Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford) on her way to her granny’s house while being pursued by the wolf (Johnny Depp); the fair maiden Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy), held captive by the witch in a tower with no doors; and young Jack (Daniel Huttlestone) en route to the market to sell his cherished cow, Milky White, to appease his exasperated mother (Tracey Ullman). Each is on their own quest to fulfill a wish.
The third midnight approaches, and the baker and his wife, having produced the required ingredients through a combination of theft, bribery and deceit, deliver them to the witch.
Soon the witch’s curse is lifted, rendering her beautiful once more. The baker and his wife magically give birth to the child they so longed for.
Cinderella breaks free from her evil stepmother (Christine Baranski) and stepsisters and marries her prince (Critics’ Choice Award nominee Chris Pine).
Rapunzel is freed from exile, and the giant beanstalk which sprouted from the magic beans Jack received in exchanged for his cow, has led to riches beyond his mother’s wildest dreams.
However, just at the moment when everything is looking rosy, a terrifying, vengeful lady giant (Frances de la Tour) climbs down from the beanstalk, and begins to wreak havoc.
Forced to face the consequences of their desires, the group of characters who have befriended one another in the woods, must work together if they are to defeat this giant and live happily ever after.