The Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters sequel was confirmed by Deadline on Monday.
The action-horror film didn’t appear to have franchise potential after a soft domestic performance , but the global box office take has pushed the film to success in a big way.
With a reported budget of $50 million, it performed slightly better than break-even in the US and crossed the $200 million mark globally over the St. Patrick’s Day weekend, Deadline stated.
Flix 66 pointed out that the film’s main stars — Gemma Arterton and Jeremy Renner — have not stated whether they would return. The site speculated that a sequel would likely recast the parts with lesser-known actors and go direct-to-video , but that’s unlikely.
Hollywood has come to rely on global box office for pushing films that would otherwise have been considered “flops” or “disappointments” over the edge to profitability.
For example, John Carter , a film many consider the biggest flop of 2012 because of its $250 million budget and $73 million domestic take, actually made a profit thanks to the global box office.
According to Box Office Mojo , John Carter finished with $282 million , way under expectations but hardly a disaster.
As Hollywood continues to mine the international windfall, it’s possible that films like a Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters sequel could command more attention in funding and talent.
Perhaps the biggest obstacle to a Hansel and Gretel sequel will be Renner, who broke on to the A-list with his turn in Best Picture-winner The Hurt Locker .
Since then, he has been a go-to star for high-profile action films like The Avengers , The Bourne Legacy , and Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol .
Renner has already been cast to star in sequels to two of these films ( The Avengers 2 and Mission: Impossible 5 ) and has an additional seven projects either in production or development.
Do you think the Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters sequel is proof domestic box office is becoming less important, and would you expect Arterton and Renner to return for a second go at these characters?