Nutcracker and the Four Realms, The (film) All Clara wants is a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer’s annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted key, which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. It is there that Clara encounters a soldier named Phillip, a gang of mice, and the regents who preside over three Realms: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers, and Land of Sweets. Clara and Phillip must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger, to retrieve Clara’s key and hopefully return harmony to the unstable world. Directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston. Released on Nov. 2, 2018, also in 3D, after an Oct. 24 release in France. Stars Mackenzie Foy (Clara), Keira Knightley (Sugar Plum Fairy), Morgan Freeman (Drosselmeyer), Matthew Macfadyen (Mr. Stahlbaum), Helen Mirren (Mother Ginger), Eugenio Derbez (Hawthorn), Jayden Fowora-Knight (Phillip), Misty Copeland (Ballerina). 99 min. Inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic tale. James Newton Howard composed the score, which added a modern twist to themes from Tchaikovsky’s 1892 ballet. Conductor Gustavo Dudamel makes a cameo in a moment referencing Leopold Stokowski’s appearances in Fantasia. Filmed at Minley Manor in Hampshire, England, as well as at Pinewood Studios. From The Mark Gordon Company and Walt Disney Pictures.
