Seyfried thrown to the wolf in ‘Red Riding Hood’

• Reprints

Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

In her new movie, Amanda Seyfried is a girl in the hood. “It’s all about blood, guts, love and sacrifice,” says the doe-eyed star who is talking about a new twist on “Red Riding Hood,” opening Friday.

“Basically, it’s a sexy, modern-day take on ‘Little Red Riding Hood,’ which is such an interesting new way to approach a story that’s such a classic tale. The story is also 700 years in the making, so it’s cool to interpret it again. There was so much more of a story to tell.”

At age 25, the actress best known for her turn in “Mamma Mia!” is ready to take some chances on the big screen.

“I don’t like to play characters that are too perfect,” Seyfried says. “Perfect is boring. People are made up of flaws.”

“I do want to play strong women and show that you can still be strong when you’re trying to figure out who you are and what you want in life,” she says. “I also don’t want to play someone who is me. Where is the challenge in that?”

“Red Riding Hood,” directed by “Twilight’s” Catherine Hardwicke, stars Seyfried as Valerie, a girl with a penchant for wearing red. She’s also immersed in a forbidden love story with Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), an orphaned woodcutter.

It’s not an easy journey for the lovebirds since they live in a medieval village that’s haunted by a werewolf. Another stumbling block is that Valerie’s meddling mother has arranged a marriage to Henry (Max Irons, son of actor Jeremy Irons). Julie Christie plays the hip, intervening grandmother.

Hardwicke cast Seyfried after meeting her at an autism benefit.

“She’s the kind of actress who just reaches out and grabs your heart. Those eyes. That face. She’s just amazing,” says the director.

Enter Seyfried, who read the script and fell in love with the re-imagined classic.

“It’s actually a gothic twist on the fairy tale, which I think will be surprising to most people. Think about it. The book is really a very short story about a wolf, a grandma and a little girl,” Seyfried says. “There had to be so much more.”

The fleshing out of the story happened on a highly secretive set in Vancouver, where it became clear that the villagers would lead a stressful life on screen. The buildings were raised on stilts and spikes because the people live in such fear of this werewolf who might be on a feeding frenzy.

“It’s a story about how young people cope with fear,” she says. “It’s basically about a girl who defies her mother who tells her: ‘Go to your grandmother’s house.’ Instead, she does her own thing.”

She actually allows the wolf to enter her world. “It’s scary and exhilarating,” Seyfried says. “It’s also empowering because she stands up to the wolf.”

Already there have been comparisons with “Twilight” and the idea of a girl facing the wolf.

“Believe me when I say that these are two very different stories,” Seyfried says.

Her next role is opposite Justin Timberlake in “Now,” an Andrew Niccol sci-fi thriller about a future world where the aging gene has been shut off — but you must buy time to live beyond the age of 25. Talk about life stress.

“I’m the least overwhelmed person,” Seyfried says. “The only thing that’s strange is talking about myself so much. ... But it’s part of the job.

“When I need to de-stress, I get out my guitar and knit. My friends call me Nana because of the knitting,” she says, laughing. “I’m proud of the nickname.”

Big Picture News Inc.