Racked with delays and looking like a potential disaster, 2013's Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters turned out to be a surprise hit with more than $220M worldwide. Talk of a sequel has been growing steadily ever since, even though director Tommy Wirkola revealed he would only be writing the screenplay the next time. The major issue in getting going has been finding time in the busy schedules of stars Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton, but apparently that's all taken care of because a new director is coming aboard.
According to Deadline, award-winning commercials director Bruno Aveillan will make his feature debut on Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 2. Known for his stylish ads for Audi, Cartier, and more, Aveillan should be a solid fit for the gory, high-energy franchise that reimagines the titular fairy tale siblings as weapon-toting bounty hunters. Adam McKay and Will Ferrell are also back as producers through their Gary Sanchez label.
There's no word on plot details yet or a start date, but it was Renner's name recognition as part of The Avengers and Mission: Impossible that helped drive the box office, and it's likely Paramount will want to move quickly to continue capitalizing on that.
