Fairytale and Fantasy in 2022

2022 was another difficult year. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started the most brutal conflict in Europe for decades and fuelled a cost-of-living crisis in several countries previously reliant on Russian fuel. The climate crisis led to more erratic weather, including record-breaking heatwaves and blizzards. The socio-economic problems continued, with political divides generally becoming further entrenched, and strikes and protests becoming seen as an increasingly necessary response to problems that governments don’t have the ability or inclination to solve. There were also plenty of celebrity scandals – whilst some (such as Will Smith’s loss of temper at the Oscars) had an element of farce that balanced out the resulting outrage, others (such as Kanye West’s slide in Neo-Nazism and the ‘Depp Vs. Heard’ trial) were just soul-crushing. However, there were plenty of silver linings, with several populist right leaders suffering humiliation and scientists, campaigners, and other progressive reformers making a variety of breakthroughs. During the year, a variety of films, TV shows, plays and books provided much-needed escapism. During 2022, there were a wide range of fairytale and fantasy inspired works of varying degrees of quality. A common theme of the year in this subgenre was projects arriving on stage or screen after a long and difficult development process. But how many of them proved worth the wait?

(To keep things simple, this is just focused on the UK and USA)

Film

2022 started with a major disappointment for fantasy fans. Despite its intriguing premise (Pierce Brosnan vs. Mermaids in 17th century France!) The King's Daughter failed to impress the critics. The film had originally been shot in 2014 but was left on the shelf for almost eight years due to issues completing the special effects and various changes in distributor. When it finally arrived in January, it only made a pathetic $1.8 million in America (against a $40 million budget), becoming Brosnan’s second straight fantasy flop after 2021’s Cinderella.

Other major fantasy films also failed to take off. Three Thousand Years of Longing, based on A.S Byatt’s short story ‘The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye’, was always going to be a hard sell despite the fact the reliably entertaining Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba were in the lead roles. Combining a high budget with a deliberately unusual take on genie mythology, it proved a box office flop (only making back one third of its budget) and failed to gain the acclaim necessary to allow it to endure. The School for Good and Evil – based on the opening book in Soman Chainani’s hit YA franchise – received underwhelming reviews, with many critics feeling it fell into the pitfalls of the YA adaptation subgenre by combining an impressive cast (Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, Beetlejuice: The Musical star Sophie Anne Caruso) with overly rushed and complicated worldbuilding. You have to really impress to turn YA adaptations into a full franchise, and it doesn’t look like The School for Good and Evil will manage this.

There were a variety of other fairytale films that generally made less of an impact. The generic Russian animated movie Pinocchio: A True Story had the unusual distinction of being released in a year with two other Pinocchio films, allowing it to gain more public attention than the filmmakers probably expected (Unfortunately, a lot of this attention came from people mocking the decision to cast early 90s comedian Pauly Shore in the title role). Meanwhile, A Fairy Tale After All provided YouTubers BrizzyVoices and Brian Hull with the opportunity to headline a family film, but failed to make an impact, even with their fanbases. Romeo & Juliet reimagining Rosaline – told from the perspective of Romeo’s ex – arrived on Disney + 12 years after it was initially greenlit, getting decent but not spectacular reviews.

The year ended strongly though, with two Fairytale films escaping from a prolonged development period to win critical acclaim. Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio saw the Oscar-winning The Shape Of Water director use beautiful stop-motion animation for a take on the classic story set during the rise of Italian fascism. Placing Pinocchio’s battle to become human in a world where people were surrendering their free will to a tyrannical militaristic state defied the messages of conformity in the source material whilst allowing Del Toro to embrace its darker and more tragic elements. Del Toro’s Pinocchio seems like a lock for Best Animated Picture in the Oscars and other awards ceremonies. Meanwhile, Puss In Boots: The Last Wish – the sequel to 2011’s Shrek spin-off Puss In Boots – featured the Zorro-esque feline coming up against a gangster Goldilocks and a terrifying Bad Bad Wolf. It became a critical hit, suggesting that there is life in the Shrek universe yet.

Theatre

The year began with the emergence of the Omnicron variant of COVID creating disruption, particularly in the West End. The National Theatre’s Sleeping Beauty reimagining Hex suffered the most, with several performances being unable to take place due to a COVID outbreak within the cast. The National Theatre chose to cancel its opening night, turning the production into a 2-month preview period. However, the theatre industry eventually began to recover as the weather got warmer, and 2022 was full of major theatrical events.

The reopening of the West End was made official with the first full Oliver Awards ceremony since 2019. Moulin Rouge got five nominations, and Frozen: The Musical got four. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella had a disastrous showing, getting almost entirely rejected by the Oliver voters (It only received a Best Supporting Actress nomination, for Victoria Hamilton-Barrett’s magnificently catty Wicked Stepmother). Things went from bad to worse for Cinderella two months later, when Lloyd Webber announced that the musical would close on the West End in June, less than a year after performances began. Not only did the short notice announcement put the cast and crew out of a job with little warning, it also meant that a new group of performers who were due to replace the original cast during the summer never got to perform in the show. There had been claims that Lloyd Webber had a poor relationship with the Cinderella cast, and these were confirmed by some insensitive comments, particularly a closing night statement where he referred to the production as “a costly mistake”. Overall, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella didn’t just flop, it thoroughly discredited Lloyd Webber’s attempts to promote himself as the man bringing back musical blockbusters in the post-lockdown era. However, the Broadway adaptation is still going ahead, now with the slightly altered name Bad Cinderella. When Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella left the Gillian Lynne Theatre, it was replaced by the Sally Cookson version of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, which had previously enjoyed a run at the Bridge Theatre. It seemed odd to open an adaptation of this quintessentially wintry story at the height of the summer heatwaves, but The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe did well enough to complete its six-month run with little trouble.

The other West End shows also struggled to preserve their audience. Although & Juliet brought in The Greatest Showman scene-stealer Keala Settle to boost sales, it didn’t do enough to lift interest in the lively Shakespeare reinvention, which announced it would be closing on the West End in March 2023 (although a UK touring version will probably be ready soon). However, this isn’t the end for & Juliet - Mere weeks after this announcement, a Broadway version opened. Critics generally accepted that the musical was best viewed as a guilty pleasure, and box office has generally been strong. 2023 is going to be extremely competitive on Broadway, and hopefully & Juliet can survive. Disney Theatrical generally withstood the turbulence of 2022 pretty well. Although Mary Poppins announced it would end its West End run at the start of the New Year, Frozen and The Lion King continued to attract audiences, whilst the recent touring production of Beauty and the Beast returned to the West End, enjoying a successful summer run at the London Palladium. They were not the only Disney musicals to enjoy success in the UK, with an in-the-round version of Newsies premiering in the North London suburbs. On Broadway, both The Lion King and Aladdin continued to succeed, with the touring production of Frozen reaching audiences across the 50 states.

Meanwhile, Wicked shows no sign of slowing down on either side of the Atlantic. Although a lot of fans were annoyed to find out that the long-gestating movie adaptation would be split into two parts (due out in 2024 and 2025), worry turned to excitement when filming finally began at the end of the year, with leading ladies Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande being joined by stage stars such as Ethan Slater and Hollywood veterans Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh. However, other Broadway mainstays had to provide worse news - The Phantom of the Opera announced the Broadway production would be closing shortly after its 35th anniversary. Like most Broadway record breakers, it delayed its planned closing to accommodate all the fans who want to see it one more time before it leaves Broadway (Although we can expect it to be revived within a few years, probably in the stripped-down staging used in the UK). Phantom’s closure will provide new productions with an opportunity to establish themselves. Hadestown continued to cement its status as one of Broadway’s biggest original hits of recent years, with Lillas White taking on the role of Hermes. However, there were some fully-fledged fairytale flops. A stage version of The Little Prince had previously fared well in Paris and Dubai, but crashed and burned on Broadway, receiving strongly negative reviews and closing just four weeks after its official opening. In a year when a lot of interesting productions were forced to close early due to low sales, no-one could muster up any enthusiasm for the De Saint Expury adaptation.

The death of lyricist and songwriter Stephen Sondheim at the end of 2021 led to a renewed appreciation for his iconic musicals, with two major productions of Into the Woods premiering in 2022. Despite the controversies that ruined initial plans to stage it at the Old Vic, Terry Gilliam’s reinterpretation of Sondheim’s fairytale deconstruction (co-directed by Leah Haussmann) premiered at Theatre Royal Bath. Though Gilliam’s distinctively surreal visual style led to some impressive moments, reviews were relatively mixed, with critics wondering if he failed to capture the emotional depth of the musical. Gilliam’s fanbase ensured a wide audience, but it is still unknown whether his revival will break into a crowded and competitive West End. Meanwhile, another adaptation from Lear DeBessonet premiered in New York as part of the annual Encores! season at New York City Center Theatre, with an all-star cast including Neil Patrick Harris, Gavin Creel and Heather Headley. Though Encores! fans were uncomfortable with the idea of staging a reasonably well-known musical during a programme dedicated to celebrating more obscure and overlooked ones, Into The Woods proved a critical and commercial hit, with critics praising the acting, the quirky puppetry, and the celebration of community in a time of crisis. The positive word of mouth led to the production getting a transfer to Broadway, becoming the first Encores! production to make it to the Theater District since 2009. When it opened on Broadway in July, the Encores! production of Into The Woods continued to receive acclaim, with popular demand meaning that an initial two month run was extended into January 2023. Although Phillipa Soo, Brian D’Arcy James and Joshua Henry joined the cast, they soon handed their roles over to a variety of stage veterans, including Krysta Rodriguez and Stephanie J. Block. The production will soon go on tour, cementing its status as one of the most successful Sondheim reinterpretations of recent years.

In the UK, pantomime season is the climax of the theatrical year, and in 2022 it generally went to plan. The London Palladium staged Jack and the Beanstalk, whilst Hackney Empire’s resident dame Clive Rowe made his directorial debut with a take on Mother Goose, a pantomime famous for making the dame into its leading character. Mother Goose was also adapted into a pantomime by the legendary Sir Ian McKellen, who has played pantomime dames on several occasions in his long and distinguished career. McKellen’s take on the story will stay at the West End until the end of January, and will go on tour into the Spring, demonstrating that pantomimes can have life beyond the Christmas season. Meanwhile, Hex announced a new run at the National Theatre, and this time, it was able to have its official opening. Reviews were mixed, with critics praising the acting and visuals, but having plenty of issues with the story and songs. However, Hex represented a welcome attempt to do something different with familiar fairytales, and hopefully we will get more original reinterpretations in the future.

Disney +

Disney’s generally focused on the Disney + streaming service, which began the year with a major triumph. During November 2021, Disney Animation’s Encanto proved a hit with critics, but failed to attract families to the cinema, only making an underwhelming $256 million at the box office. However, when it arrived on Disney +, it truly took off, surprising even the most enthusiastic fans. Both millennial social media users and younger families focused on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s catchy and creative soundtrack, and all eight of the songs cracked the Billboard Hot 100. However, one proved particularly successful. “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” features the Madrigal family and their friends telling protagonist Mirabel to be wary of her outcast uncle Bruno, whose ability to tell the future makes him unpopular for obvious reasons. The song blends Latin music and rap sections with elaborate musical theatre showmanship, including a climax where no fewer than six different vocal sections are sang simultaneously. “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” became the first Disney Song to reach Number One in the Billboard Hot 100 charts since “A Whole New World” and became the first Original Disney Musical song to reach Number One in the UK (Disney technically had their first UK Number One in 2002, when Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates recorded a chart-topping cover of "Suspicious Minds" which was used in the British release of Lilo and Stitch). However, "We Don't Talk About Bruno" was not selected to represent Encanto at the Oscars, as Disney chose to submit the Spanish-language ballad “Dos Orugiatas”, largely due to its narrative significance. The risk failed to pay off – Billie Eilish received the Oscar instead and Lin-Manuel Miranda missed out on the opportunity to complete his EGOT. However, Encanto still managed to win the Best Animated Feature award at the Oscars, becoming the first Disney film to gain this honour since Zootopia in 2016. Despite Encanto’s slow start, it is almost certain Disney will be making more trips to the Casa Madrigal in the future – A Hollywood Bowl Concert featuring most of the original cast proved a major hit with audiences, and the proshoot was released on Disney + over Christmas.

All of Disney’s live-action offerings went directly to Disney +. However, there was a reliance on remakes and sequels, with Pinocchio being a particularly notable failure. Despite being directed by the legendary Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?) and featuring a strong cast headed by Tom Hanks, Luke Evans, and Cynthia Erivo, Pinocchio did nothing to improve the reputation of Disney’s live-action remake factory. In fact, it became the most hated live-action remake to date, with plasticky CGI and needless changes ensuring that the story all the flaws of the previous live-action remakes and none of their redeeming features. Disney + also had long-awaited sequels to two of Disney’ most popular live-action films. Hocus Pocus 2 was a competent followup to the 1993 Halloween favourite (although some fans were disappointed that the villainy of the Sanderson Sisters was toned down), whilst Disenchanted failed to gain the same popularity as 2007’s Enchanted. Although there was an interesting underlying idea of Amy Adams’ deliciously positive Princess Giselle suffering a midlife crisis, the overly messy storyline demonstrated that the original should have been allowed to remain a stand-alone. The three films will probably fail to emulate the relative success of Disney’s 2021 live-action blockbuster Cruella, which won an Oscar for Best Costume Design – you could argue this was based on the sheer quantity of costumes used, but it did validate the argument that Disney’s live-action films can provide an impressive spectacle in their own right.

Despite the derivative nature of most of Disney’s 2022 fairytale blockbusters, there were more original productions on Disney + if you knew where to look for them. The Princess – created for the Hulu/Disney Star adult sections of Disney’s streaming empire - raised eyebrows with a delicious premise – why not make a fairytale princess into the protagonist of a John Wick/The Raid style “Fight Film”? Although critics were divided over its bare-bones approach, it still represented a much-needed burst of audacity. Sneakarella provided a modern-day update of the Cinderella story focused on a young man whose shoe-designing skills catch the attention of a Basketball pro. Meanwhile, rap legend Reverend Run narrated The Hip Hop Nutcracker, which combined classical ballet and modern street dance.

However, Disney also experimented outside the film format. There was a 30th anniversary special celebrating Beauty And The Beast, done in the same “Hybrid” style as their Hollywood Bowl shows – H.E.R and Josh Groban played the titular couple, with the likes of Shania Twain and Martin Short in the supporting cast. Although the “Hybrid” format probably doesn’t work as well on TV, this was an improvement on 2019’s The Little Mermaid Live due to the more cohesive and spectacular visuals for the performance sequences. Sometimes, they could be too theatrical for their own good (The giant puppet skeleton used for the Beast looked impressive, but proved more unwieldy in practise) but they represented proof that Disney still had the ability to do familiar songs in a new medium.

Literature

The literary trends of recent years generally continued. There were more stories based on Greek myth (Natalie Haynes, one of Britain’s most prominent commentators on Greek mythology, released her Medusa reinvention Stone Blind) and more reimaginings of fairy tales (such as Mary McMyne’s The Book of Gothel, which provided a new spin on the story of Rapunzel). International folklore also proved a source of inspiration for publishers seeking to diversify their output whilst also sticking to the formulas that remain popular with a wider audience – the combination of familiar and exciting generated hits such as Sue Lynn Tan’s Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

The biggest fairy tale blockbuster in the literary world came when horror icon Stephen King provided a change of pace with a fantasy story called Fairy Tale, about a teenager who finds a key to an unusual world. Even though it’s strange to read a story with princesses and castles from the man behind The Shining and It, King’s substantial experience with more dystopian takes on the fantasy (The Stand, The Dark Tower series) and his interest in coming of age stories (such as The Body, adapted into Stand By Me by The Princess Bride director Rob Reiner) meant that it wasn’t actually too much of a stretch to move into a more old-fashioned brand of magic and adventure, whilst still keeping a substantial amount of the creepy and disturbing elements that have made King famous over the decades. Reviews were generally strong, and director Paul Greengrass attached himself to an adaptation, ensuring that Fairy Tale could become the latest in the very long line of Stephen King reimaginings for the big screen. Meanwhile, major figures in the fantasy genre such as Marlon James, Naomi Novik, and Sarah J. Maas continued to achieve critical and commercial success.

Disney Books tend not to receive much critical attention, but their publishing division did provide some worthwhile reads for YA audiences. Farah Rochon provided a much-needed injection of new blood for the A Twisted Tale series, as her Princess and the Frog reimagining Almost There put more emphasis on Tiana’s battle against Dr Facilier’s brand of magical manipulation. The Frozen franchise received a genuinely interesting continuation in the form of Polar Nights: Cast Into Darkness, where Anna and Elsa have to deal with a memory-stealing zombie whilst investigating the truth behind a “Cruel Sister” – style tale. The new set of The Little Mermaid spin-offs (cashing in on the forthcoming live-action remake) began with Prince of Song and Sea, providing Prince Eric with some much-needed depth and vulnerability. The two villain-centric Disney Books franchises (Serena Valentino’s A Tale Of and Vera Strange’s Disney Chills) released new instalments involving Captain Hook and Maleficent respectively, with Disney’s Cautionary Tales providing another way of using Disney’s classic rouges to generate scary stories for both older children and teenagers. The Rick Riordan Presents line continued to generate hits, releasing no fewer than seven new books based on a variety of international mythologies.

Literary Awards provided fantasy novels with the opportunity to gain greater recognition and reach a wider audience. P Djeli Clark’s A Master of Djinn won Best Novel at the Nebula Awards and received nominations from other major fantasy awards, including the World Fantasy Awards (where the Best Novel went to The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri) the Mythopoeic Awards and the Hugo Awards. At 87 years old, fantasy/folktale veteran Alan Garner became the oldest person to be nominated for a Booker Prize with his novella Treacle Walker, capitalising on a renewed interest in British folklore and folktales.

As usual, Goodreads invited users to choose their favourite books of the year, with thousands of literary fans contributing their votes. The following fairytale/fantasy novels were nominated:

Best Fantasy: House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas (Winner), Fairy Tale by Stephen King, War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan, Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree, Elektra by Jennifer Saint, Kakeyi by Vaishnavi Patel, The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean, When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill, Nettle And Bone by T. Kingfisher, Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott, The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah

(Notes: Daughter of the Moon Goddess, Kakeyi and Thistlefoot were also nominated for Best Debut Novel)

Best YA Science Fiction and Fantasy: Gallant by V.E. Schwab (Winner), Bloodmarked by Tracy Deann, Kingdom of the Feared by Kerri Maniscalo, The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber, The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh, Cursed by Marissa Meyer, This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mofi, These Twisted Bonds by Lexi Ryan, A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I.Lin, So This Is Ever After by F.T Lukens, The Dragons Promise by Elizabeth Lim, Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen.

Best Middle Grade & Children’s: The Rise of the School of Good and Evil by Soman Chainani, Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston, Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega, Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality by Roshani Chokshi, Ravenfall by Kalyn Josephson, The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill, How To Heal a Gryphon by Meg Cannistra

Best Graphic Novels and Comics: Lore Olympus: Volume Two by Rachel Smythe, Crumbs by Danie Stirling, Squire by Sara Alfageeh

Culture Wars

Inevitably, entertainment remained a social and political battleground. This was particularly apparent in Florida, where the aggressively Right-Wing governor Ron DeSantis has been trying to assert himself as the new leader of a Republican party that has now turned into a purely reactionary populist right movement. DeSantis pushed through the Parental Rights in Education Bill, trying to ban schools from teaching topics deemed “Taboo” by conservative authorities – unsurprisingly, this included LGBTQ+ topics, leading to the bill being nicknamed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by protesters. Disney, whose Disneyland Orlando theme park is one of the largest in Florida, chose to initially stay silent, alienating the company’s large LGBTQ+ fanbase. After a few weeks of protests from fans and employees, Disney's Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek finally issued a firm condemnation of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. This merely allowed the Republicans and their supporters to frame their reactionary legislation as a rebellion against Disney’s power and dominance, with Desantis even passing a bill to strip Disneyland Orlando of their special self-governing status. Overall, Chapek’s response felt like the worst of both worlds, providing the political right with an easy target whilst frustrating progressives. Chapek continued to alienate Disney fans in a variety of ways, including claiming that adult audiences did not watch the animation that made Disney famous in the first place. At the end of November, after Disney’s Sci-Fi fantasy Strange World flopped during the traditionally strong Thanksgiving Weekend, Bob Chapek was abruptly sacked as Chief Executive Officer and replaced by his predecessor Robert Iger. Although financial issues (and other complicated behind the scenes factors) played a greater role in Chapek’s downfall, his errors meant that the vast majority of Disney fans were glad to see him go. Other studios (such as Warner Bros) have arguably fared worse in 2022, but Disney’s dominance over the blockbuster industry makes their setbacks all the more noticeable.

Disney also had to deal with bad publicity over the live-action Snow White, which began filming after over five years in development hell, with Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot in the leading roles. However, they soon found themselves at the centre of an online row when Game of Thrones icon Peter Dinklage claimed that the project was insulting to people with Dwarfism. This led to a debate which generated mixed feelings for many. On one hand, the broad and eccentric personalities of the Seven Dwarves have often defined our perception of dwarfism for the worse (e.g people with Dwarfism being constantly nicknamed Happy, Grumpy, etc), but they are still heroic and likeable characters on their own terms. Like many controversies, the dispute was artificially inflated by people trying to portray understandable complaints as disproportionate. (Demonstrating that he meant no personal ill will towards the Snow White cast, Dinklage signed up to an adaptation of the Hunger Games prequel Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which features Zegler as the female lead). We still don’t know how the Dwarves will be portrayed in the live-action Snow White, but expect Disney to try to play them a bit more seriously. Meanwhile, the first teaser for the live-action The Little Mermaid – with R&B rising star Halle Bailey as Ariel - suffered from complaints by the usual right-wingers insisting that Ariel could not be played by an African-American actress, many of whom ensured that the initial 100 second clip broke records for YouTube dislikes. Ultimately, these controversies won’t have too much of an effect when these films are released. These productions can only be as good as their story, and the increasingly poor track record of Disney’s live-action remakes generally means that the majority of fans are coming in with low expectations. However, great performances from the cast could really make these movies worth watching and ensure that the aspects complained about the loudest become their greatest strengths.

Conclusion

Fairytale-related entertainment was generally affected by some of the more dispiriting trends of recent years. Original fantasy/fairytale films often proved to be costly flops, whilst Disney focused on reviving familiar brands instead of creating new ones. However, there were several new positives, with successes such as Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio pointing a way forward for more creative and innovative spins on familiar fantasy tales. As usual, the best entertainment in the genre will endure for years to come, whilst weaker efforts will generally be forgotten.

There is plenty to look forward to in 2023. This year marks 100 years since the Disney Company was founded, so there will be extra scrutiny of their output. Peter Pan and Wendy and The Little Mermaid will be aiming to allow Disney’s live-action division to regain a degree of critical respect, whilst Wish promises to return Disney Animation to their fairytale fantasy comfort zone. Meanwhile, the 2019 Central Park stage version of Hercules is making its “Indoor Premiere” in the Paper Mill Playhouse. In addition, Disney’s 100th Anniversary celebrations will include a concert, a pop-up immersive experience and even an exhibition of Disney artefacts – all three of these will tour a variety of major cities in 2023.

On Broadway, & Juliet will find itself against Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bad Cinderella and Britney Spears jukebox musical Once Upon A One More Time, whilst the reliably hilarious Mischief Theatre will return to New York with Peter Pan Goes Wrong. There will also be fantasy theatre blockbusters in the UK, including a Regents Park Theatre open-air revival of Once On This Island.

There will also be some fairytale/fantasy films for adults only. Netflix’s Damsel promises to be a more sophisticated take on the “Fairytale Princess becomes Action Hero” concept used by The Princess, with Millie Bobbie Brown (Stranger Things, Enola Holmes) as the protagonist. Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey, the slasher horror reimagining of A.A Milne’s classic children’s character, has raised some eyebrows, but horror fans are more likely to take interest in TWO unusual takes on Dracula – Renfield, with Nicholas Hoult as Dracula’s titular assistant (and Nicholas Cage as Dracula!) and The Last Voyage of the Demeter, based exclusively on the frequently overlooked ship-based sections of the vampire story. There will also be plenty of fantasy series on TV and streaming, ranging from Taika Waititi’s Apple TV reimagining of Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits and Disney +’s Princess and the Frog followup Tiana to Amazon Prime’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys and the Netflix series, Kaos, which pits modern-day humans against the capricious Greco-Roman gods.

Last but not least, there will be plenty of fantasy/YA books. Atalanta will be Jennifer Saint’s latest feminist take on Greek mythology, whilst Elizabeth Lim is returning to Disney’s A Twisted Tale franchise with a new take on Pinocchio. There will also be room for newcomers – Francesca Flore will add vampires to the Rapunzel story with The Witch and the Vampire, whilst Lex Croucher’s Gwen and Art Are Not in Love promises an LGBTQ+ take on Arthurian love triangles. Overall, things are looking good for fairytale/fantasy inspired properties in 2023. Who knows, things might start to improve elsewhere in the world…