The beautiful princess looking for love, the evil stepmother thwarting her every move, the handsome prince who comes to her rescue -- all are classic fairy tale characters that have come to life on the big screen, ever since the invention of movies.

"Snow White and the Huntsman" is just the latest cinematic re-telling of a classic fairy tale, following closely on the heels of the similarly Snow White-centric "Mirror Mirror." These types of films may be experiencing a renaissance, as there are many more movies based on fairy tales in the pipeline, with top talent attached. Here's a look at what's coming to a movie theater near you.

'Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters'

Mash up action, comedy, and horror in a movie produced by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy, and you get Jeremy Renner as Hansel and Gemma Arterton as Gretel. This memorable title is slated for release early next year in 3-D, after Paramount pushed back its March 2012 release date. It is set 15 years after the siblings' traumatic gingerbread-house incident, when they are bounty hunters who track and kill witches all over the world.

'Maleficent'

In what's being billed as a Disney deconstruction of the classic fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty," Angelina Jolie stars as the self-proclaimed Mistress of All Evil, opposite Elle Fanning as the princess. Set for release in March 2014, the project starts shooting in England next month with Imelda Staunton and Miranda Richardson costarring.

'Pan'

We pretty much guarantee Sean Bean won't be beheaded in this dark re-imagining of author J.M. Barrie's tale of Peter Pan. Bean plays Smee, a cop who aids former detective Hook (Aaron Eckhart) in his pursuit of a childlike kidnapper. AnnaSophia Robb ("Soul Surfer") joins them as Wendy, the only kid who's ever escaped the villain's clutches.

'The Little Mermaid'

Director Joe Wright ("Atonement," "Pride and Prejudice") helms this new version of the Hans Christian Andersen classic. It's the tale of a young mermaid who gives up her life aquatic to love a human prince on land, penned by Abi Morgan ("Shame," "The Iron Lady"). No cast members have been officially announced.

Also Check Out: "Snow White" and the 7 Fantasy Movie References

'Sleeping Beauty'

Hailee Steinfeld of "True Grit" fame will star in this contemporary interpretation of the fairy tale, taking the iconic princess on a journey to explore her dream world while she simultaneously tries to escape it. It's still in development, with no other cast members officially announced.

'Hansel and Gretel 3-D'

This upcoming production already has a tagline: "If you end up lost in the woods, you may just find yourself." But no cast has yet been announced for this new adaptation of the Brothers Grimm fairytale about a young brother and sister surviving a wicked witch in her gingerbread house. It's set to be shot in Germany, the origin country of the classic tale.

'Jack the Giant Killer'

Fee-fi-fo fum. We smell the blood of actor Nicholas Hoult as Jack -- you know, the one who climbs the beanstalk magically growing outside his window and battles a fearsome race of giants. Naturally, there's also a princess involved, played by Eleanor Tomlinson. Noted director Bryan Singer ("The Usual Suspects," "X-Men") brings it to the screen in March 2013.

'Enchanted 2'

Amy Adams will reportedly reprise her role as Giselle in this Disney sequel to the blockbuster 2007 film, which brought the fairy tale princess to real-life New York City in her quest for love. James Marsden, Julie Andrews and Patrick Dempsey are also rumored to be part of the cast again for this 2014 release.

'Arabian Nights'

Liam Hemsworth stars as Ali Baba in this new adaptation of the tale in which he rescues Persian Queen Scheherazade and her kingdom from dark powers. A 1942 version scored four Oscar nominations; an Italian version was distributed in 1974 by United Artists and won a top prize at the Cannes Film Festival that year.

'Pinocchio'

With Guillermo del Toro ("Pan's Labyrinth," "Hellboy") at the helm, this is certain to be a darker version of the classic children's fairy tale of a wooden puppet that transforms into a real living boy. Daniel Radcliffe is rumored to star, with a shoot planned to start next summer.