Why Kristen Stewart Was Happy To Not Be Part Of The Huntsman: Winter's War

When The Huntsman: Winter's War started to gear up for production without any hint of Kristen Stewart being involved, everyone started to wonder if the scandal that plagued Snow White and The Huntsman was the defining factor in such a development. Well, after several years, Stewart has set the story straight, and her non-involvement was purely voluntary – and, according to her, for good reasons.

Stewart was in the middle of being interviewed by Variety when questions about the 2012 film's sequel, which crashed and burned at last month's box office, came into play. But while Snow White and The Huntsman left Kristen Stewart excited about a sequel, a slippery slope led to Stewart souring on the project, as she explains in the following quote:

I read a few scripts. None of them were good. None of them were greenlight-able. And I had a meeting with Universal about the places where the story could go. Maybe Chris was more into it. I actually don’t fucking know.

Despite all of those meetings, Kristen Stewart just wasn't into the material that Universal was throwing her way for what would eventually become The Huntsman: Winter's War. Then, from what she says, she learned of the finalized plans for Huntsman: Winter's War from the official press release, which described the titular Huntsman as the central character. From the sound of it, she hadn't realized things had gone in another direction. When the studio reached out to see if she'd be interested in doing a cameo, she politely declined...

I might just leave that be. I was really into that, but —... Now I'm like 'Thank God.'

So it doesn't seem like she's feeling much regret over the situation.

One can't blame Stewart for her wise, but not totally upset reasoning for passing on The Huntsman: Winter's War. After all, if a major studio stops talking to you for a couple years, morphs your potential franchise into someone else's starring vehicle, and then asks you to do a cameo, you might feel a bit left out yourself. However, considering the fact that Kristen Stewart went on to make Clouds of Maria Sils, Still Alice, Equals, and most recently Woody Allen's Cafe Society, those feelings can't last too long, as her career has turned into something that most people wouldn't have expected from the lead of Twilight.

Kristen Stewart has surprised the world in the years since her franchise days, and she has shown no signs of stopping any time soon. Considering she became the first American to win the Cesar – France's equivalent to the Oscars - there's still room for surprises in the future of her career. You can experience some of those surprises for yourself when Cafe Society debuts on July 15th, or when Equals makes its way to theaters on September 5th.

While Kristen Stewart was absent from the Huntsman movie, it sounds like she was feeling very differently about landing a part in her latest film. Get the story on that, and find out how Twilight fame has affected her next...

Kristen Stewart was just at the Cannes Film Festival in support of Woody Allen’s Café Society. And yet, in talking with the press to help promote the film, Stewart and co-star Blake Lively both talked to People about how difficult and awkward it could be auditioning for someone like Woody Allen.

Stewart said:

I walked out of the room and I was like, 'Give me the tape,' and they were like 'No, no, no.' I was like, 'I can't believe I'm leaving this tape in this room for him to watch.'"

Perhaps it was her days in the Twilight saga that helped make Kristen Stewart so guarded? Obviously, playing Bella meant she had to live up to the expectations of millions of global Twilight readers. In an interview with The Guardian, Stewart said that becoming famous at 17 throws off your inner being, and you no longer know how to properly interact with people.

She elaborates:

I was so guarded. And that really doesn’t provide a fully-lived life. There are ways to interact with media and there are ways to interact with the public and, beyond that, just human beings. Because those are all very different things. So I’ve found this balance of ignoring the things I find worthless and really letting in the stuff that feels human, and that is by not hiding and being honest.

We hope that continues to work for you, K-Stew!

Mike Reyes
Senior Movies Contributor

Mike Reyes is the Senior Movie Contributor at CinemaBlend, though that title’s more of a guideline really. Passionate about entertainment since grade school, the movies have always held a special place in his life, which explains his current occupation. Mike graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, but swore off of running for public office a long time ago. Mike's expertise ranges from James Bond to everything Alita, making for a brilliantly eclectic resume. He fights for the user.