Synopsis

In French-occupied Germany, traveling con artists Jake and Will Grimm stage fake exorcisms for frightened villagers. Their usual tricks fail when a remote village is threatened by a genuine supernatural curse. Joined by a resourceful woodsman and a local hunter, the brothers must confront an enchanted forest, a sinister queen, and the fears that have divided them since childhood.

Factoids & Trivia

• Production took place in the Czech Republic during 2003, with filming at locations including Prague, Krivoklat Castle, Kacina Castle, Kutna Hora, and Ledec nad Sazavou.

• Matt Damon and Heath Ledger were initially assigned the opposite brotherly roles. They petitioned to exchange parts, resulting in Damon playing Wilhelm and Ledger playing Jacob.

• A Writers Guild of America credit dispute prevented two of the principal screen rewriters from receiving screenplay credit. They were instead credited as "Dress Pattern Makers."

• The production was repeatedly delayed before its August 26, 2005, US release. Earlier plans reportedly targeted November 2004, followed by several additional release dates.

• The film's visual effects combined full-size sets, bluescreen photography, miniatures, and computer animation. Major digital creatures included the Wolfman, a mud creature, the Mirror Queen, and a living tree.

• The village of Marbaden was constructed behind Barrandov Studios in Prague, giving the production a substantial practical environment for its German village scenes.

• The film's fairy-tale imagery draws from several traditions rather than adapting one specific Grimm story. The Mirror Queen, for example, combines traits associated with figures from "Snow White" and "Rapunzel."

• The historical Brothers Grimm were not traveling exorcists or con artists. The film uses their names and interest in folklore as the starting point for an entirely fictional adventure.