Fairy tales in the public domain can be freely adapted, but many originals were overshadowed by family-friendly Disney versions. Early 20th-century filmmakers produced darker retellings, yet mature adaptations faced expectations tied to Disney classics. Terry Gilliam brought his Monty Python-influenced, imaginative arthouse sensibility to The Brothers Grimm, following films such as Time Bandits, 12 Monkeys, and The Fisher King. Ehren Kruger's spec script aimed to capture the contemporary fantasy zeitgeist, and the film received a commercially viable PG-13 rating. The Brothers Grimm grossed just over $100 million against an estimated $80 million budget and suffered creative compromises after Gilliam lost final cut during disputes with executive producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein.
The early 20th century saw the debut of darker fairy tale tellings like Jean Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast and Powell and Pressburger's The Red Shoes, but many of the timeless stories they drew inspiration from became synonymous with the Walt Disney Company's animated films. Even if the original fairy tales contained dark, provocative material, more mature film adaptations had to contend with family-friendly expectations tied to Disney classics like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
After earning worldwide recognition for his work with Monty Python, director Terry Gilliam developed a unique talent for making bizarre, imaginative arthouse films with mainstream crossover appeal. Time Bandits satirized world history, 12 Monkeys imagined an idiosyncratic dystopian future, and The Fisher King was loosely inspired by Arthurian mythology, so Gilliam seemed like the ideal choice to helm The Brothers Grimm, a fantasy adventure named after the 19th-century German siblings who revived popular interest in fairy tales.
Given the emerging popularity of fantasy franchises like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, there was reason to believe that Ehren Kruger's spec script had the potential to capture the zeitgeist. But despite casting two young heartthrobs and sporting a commercially viable PG-13 rating, The Brothers Grimm barely surpassed $100 million at the box office, against an estimated budget of at least $80 million.
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