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Hansel Gets A New Gretel To Hunt With

By TK | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (16)

gemma.jpg

I’m sort of fascinated by the upcoming Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters. The idea is clever enough — it’s basically spelled out in the title — and in the right hands it’s got some good fantasy potential. The director, Tommy Wirkola has a great deal of promise, having previously directed the entertaining but ultimately off-mark Dead Snow, aka “The Nazi Zombie Movie.” Given a better script and a larger budget, he may hit closer to the mark.

Then, they found their Hansel in Jeremy Renner (who is beginning to show up everywhere — not that that’s a bad thing), and people started paying attention. Then, the news broke that The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo star Noomi Rapace would be Gretel, and it got even more interesting. Sadly, that rumor has ultimately not paid off, and Rapace is moving on. She’s being replaced by English actress Gemma Arterton, a lovely actress who’s been in a series of decidedly mixed bags. This won’t be her first foray into genre films — she co-starred in two of the biggest, if also stupidest, adaptations of last year: Clash Of The Titans and Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time. Arterton has demonstrated that she can be better than that crap though — she was solid in The Disappearance Of Alice Creed, and has popped up in a bunch of solid smaller films like Rocknrolla, Pirate Radio and she had a small, but good turn in Quantum Of Solace.

Anyway, there you go. No news on any other cast yet, and who the witches they hunt are will certainly be interesting. Wait and see. And stay away from old ladies with promises of snacks and warm beds.

(source: Variety)









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Comments

She was also a kick-ass Elizabeth Bennett in Lost in Austen, one of only two modern twists on P&P that actually understood the original.

Posted by: PaddyDog at January 5, 2011 11:36 AM

I'm still waiting to see Tamara Drewe

Posted by: arrrghzi at January 5, 2011 11:38 AM

"And stay away from old ladies with promises of snacks and warm beds."

And what?, Like, get a job?

Fuck that.

Posted by: Groundloop at January 5, 2011 11:41 AM

TK...dont question the authority of Dead Snow.
Those Nazi zombies were LEGION and will fuck you up.


But I am interested in this. For me, a lot is going to hinge on how it's shot, who is eventually cast as Hansel(BenWhishawBenWhishawBenWhishaw.

I feel like a Gilliam meets Del Toro (Guillermo, not Benicio) approach to the visuals and SPECIFICALLY the villains is very important as well as a thorough understanding of the original legend.
Gemma gives me...some hope because she is sort of magical looking and impish so they may be going in the right kind of direction. LET US WATCH

Posted by: Nadine at January 5, 2011 11:49 AM

Nadine, re: who will play Hansel... You should probably read the post again. Maybe the first sentence of the second paragraph?

Just sayin'.

Posted by: TK at January 5, 2011 11:54 AM

I thought that was a photo of Lea Michele for a minute, and I got irrationally angry. Glee done fucked me up good, apparently.

More Jeremy Renner is indeed a good thing.

Posted by: MelBivDevoe at January 5, 2011 12:07 PM

Hey, as an old lady with a warm bed and snacks, I resent the implication that I am up to no good.

It's more of a promise.

Posted by: Wednesday at January 5, 2011 12:26 PM

Is anyone else wondering how far they're going to start dipping into the classic fairy tale genre if this is a success?

The Little Match Girl and Phillip Morris: a gutsy blonde avenges herself against the tobacco industry

Snow White versus Monsanto: a dark-haired beauty pursues the genetically modified apple cartel (minus the seven dwarves of course since they are under contract to TLC).

Posted by: PaddyDog at January 5, 2011 1:33 PM

TK, the weirdest bit is, once I read that I realised I had known it since it was announced, MONTHS ago.


My brain. She is broked

Posted by: Nadine at January 5, 2011 2:01 PM

Posted by: arrrghzi at January 5, 2011 11:38 AM

So am I. Did Tamara Drewe ever get a wide release in the US? I can't remember reading a Pajiba review of it!

Posted by: KV at January 5, 2011 3:30 PM

Congratulations to Gemma Arterton for defeating the curse of the Bond Girls. This seems like another mediocre choice for her though. Eh, roll on Clash of the Titans 2: Clash Harder.

Posted by: csb at January 5, 2011 6:04 PM

I would do bad things to Gemma Arterton. Dead Snow sucked balls. These genre concept films don't live up to their potential, yet my hope for them springs eternal.

Posted by: e at January 5, 2011 9:59 PM

@PaddyDog, I loved Lost in Austen. It was just such great fun! Also the bit where she makes Darcy jump in the lake and goes "I'm having a bit of a strange postmodern moment here" - loved it!

Posted by: Mona at January 6, 2011 7:55 AM

@Mona, the moment just before that scene when she says "there is one thing you could do for me", I started sqealing, please make him emerge out of the lake, please. And I couldn't believe they actually went there. Also, when she goes back to modern times and Lizzie is a nanny watching soaps: that was gold.

Posted by: PaddyDog at January 6, 2011 11:33 AM

What about young ladies with promises of snacks and warm beds? Seriously though, I've got 7 types of snacks and lots of Diet Coke!

Posted by: Kateshi Rinkichiku at January 7, 2011 2:37 PM

@PaddyDog, damn I can't believe I forgot about the nanny bit. I really should rewatch this series. I always felt that it must've been written by the biggest Austen fangirl ever. Ooh and the bit where Caroline Bingley turns out to be gay...awesome.

Posted by: Mona at January 9, 2011 3:04 AM