Disney’s ‘Into The Woods’ New Family-Friendly Angle Upsets Older Audiences

The story follows the Witch, played by Meryl Streep, as she puts curses on Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel, as a way to teach them an important lesson. Audiences were excited to hear that Disney was making Sondheim’s acclaimed Broadway hit into a movie with an all-star team of actors, including Johnny Depp, Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine and Christine Baranksi.

The excitement has turned into disapproval as Sondheim revealed the changes in his adaptation to make it family-friendly. The changes that were excluded from the film include — Attention: Spoiler Alert — the Wolf (Johnny Depp) being sexually desirous towards Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Rapunzel staying alive and no affair between the Prince (Chris Pine) and the Baker’s Wife (Emily Blunt).

Sondheim acknowledges the challenge between getting his work made into a movie and keeping the story true to its original creation.“You know, if I were a Disney executive I probably would say the same thing,” he said, adding: “…censorship is part of our puritanical ethics…There has to be a point at which you don’t compromise anymore, but that may mean that you won’t get anyone to sell your painting or perform your musical. You have to deal with reality,” Sondheim said in his New Yorker interview.

Below are the cut scenes from Sondheim’s “Into the Woods.”