Everyone's been buzzing about the two upcoming 'Snow White' flicks on the horizon, 'Snow White and the Huntsman' and 'Mirror, Mirror,' excitedly debating details like who will make the best heroine (Kristen Stewart or Lily Collins!) or the most dashing Prince Charming (Armie Hammer or Chris Hemsworth!) My favorite discussions, though, revolve around who will make the most deliciously evil queen: Julia Roberts or Charlize Theron.
Both actresses bring distinctive qualities to the table. Charlize excels at being downright terrifying, as evidenced by her role as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in 'Monster.' Julia, on the other hand, is a whole 'nother kind of frightening: her cutting remarks and disdainful glares could reduce any young girl to tears in the blink of an eye.
Gallery | Fairy Tale Villainess Hall of Fame
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Charlize Theron as The Queen in 'Snow White and the Huntsman'
Check out the claws on her! Kristen Stewart's Snow White must be shaking in her boots. Charlize's evil queen is ready to inflict someserious damage! (Good thing Snow White appears to be equipped with battle armor in the first-look photos.)
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Julia Roberts as The Queen in 'Mirror, Mirror'
No young girl is immune from this withering glare. Julia's evil queen is clearly disgusted by Snow White. Can sweet, sweet Lily Collins stand up to such disdain?
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Margaret Hamilton as The Wicked Witch of the West in 'The Wizard of Oz'
Ah, yes. The original movie villainess. How many of you can honestly say that Margaret's evil cackle didn't haunt your nightmares as a child? Plus she had that amazingly catchy line that's still in the pop culture lexicon over 70 years later. That's right. "I'll get you, my pretty. And your little dog, too!"
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Jean Marsh as Queen Bavmorda in 'Willow'
Queen Bavmorda scared me so much when I watched 'Willow' as a kid, I've never watched it again even though it's such a classic. She’s about as evil as evil gets. I mean really -- who locks up pregnant women? And banishes innocent little babies from this world using evil rituals?
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Anjelica Huston as The Evil Stepmother in 'Ever After'
Anjelica is a master of playing ice-cold meanies, so it's no surprise that she made a brilliant evil stepmother. Plus she really rocked that oversized headpiece. It takes a special kind of actress to pull that off without looking silly.
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Jane Lynch as the Evil Stepmother in 'Another Cinderella Story'
Who knew Sue Sylvester could be so glam? Lynch's over-the-top performance as the conniving stage parent from hell is the highlight of this pre-Bieber Selena Gomez vehicle.
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Tilda Swinton as The White Witch in 'The Chronicles of Narnia'
Of course Tilda made an incredibly chilling White Witch. Why wouldn't she? She's an amazing actress with remarkable range, and she's quite tall with a serene-yet-imposing presence. And she's great at those stony facial expressions. With just one look, those kids knew they weren’t getting any more Turkish Delight!
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Helena Bonham Carter as The Red Queen in 'Alice in Wonderland'
She may look like a doll, but Helena's Red Queen is anything but sweet. Helena has really mastered the art of playing evil women over the past decade, first as the deliciously nasty Bellatrix in the 'Harry Potter' series, and then as Mia Wasikowska’s tormentor in 'Alice.'
My money's on Charlize in 'Snow White and the Huntsman.' Based on the "first look" photos of each of the queens, Charlize comes across as much more bad-ass. Her face says 'I'll cut you, bi**h. I'll kill you in your sleep!' Julia's face in 'Mirror, Mirror,' on the other hand, skews more towards the judge-y mother side. Instead of murderous thoughts, she looks like she's thinking, 'Go ahead, fatty. Have another tiny cucumber sandwich with the crust cut off. Mwhahahahaha! You disgust me.'
That said, I think both Julia and Charlize are excellent choices to play evil queens -- they'll each make their own distinctive marks in the evil fairy tale villainess hall of fame.
[Photo: Universal Pictures]
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