Director Hired For Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters 2

Okay - we’ll admit we didn’t see this one coming, as we’d long since assumed this one to be deader than the Wicked Witch of the West.

Deadline report that Paramount Pictures have hired Bruno Aveillan to direct the sequel to 2013 action-horror-comedy ‘Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters,’ which cast Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton as the fairy tale children grown up to be butt-kicking bounty hunters dedicated to taking out witches.

- Nightmare On Elm Street Reboot Announced
- Five Nights At Freddy’s Movie Finds Director
- The Crow Reboot Cancelled

Though the reaction from critics and audiences in the UK seemed pretty lukewarm, the $50 million (approx £32 million) movie wound up grossing over $226 million (approx £146 million) at the global box office - not bad for a fairly gory, non-family friendly film.

A sequel was announced not long thereafter, but progress seemed slow, with Renner’s busy schedule cited as a key hold up: with Marvel, ‘Mission: Impossible’ and ‘Bourne,’ the actor isn’t exactly lacking for franchises.

Then in September 2014, the original film’s writer-director Tommy Wirkola (also responsible for the cult horror comedy ‘Dead Snow’ and its sequel) announced to Fangoria that he would not be returning to direct ‘Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters 2,’ although he did confirm having written a follow-up script.

The lack of news since Wirkola’s withdrawal from the sequel inevitably led to suspicions that the project was dead - but, like any good monster, it’s suddenly jumped back to life at the last moment.

Aveillan, a noted short films and commercials director, will make his feature debut on the sequel, working from Wirkola’s screenplay.

While Renner and Arterton are not yet confirmed to reprise their roles, it’s hard to see how the sequel could happen without them. The original film’s producers Adam McKay, Will Ferrell, Kevin Messick and Beau Flynn remain on board.

- All-Male Ghostbusters Spin-Off Still On?
- 80s Horror Troll Gets A Ridiculous Spin-Off
- Classic Horror Nosferatu Gets Another Remake

Picture Credit: Paramount