They're dressed in black, they look tough and they have weapons: here's your first look at Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton ("Clash Of The Titans") in the upcoming "Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters," yet another addition to the becoming-overpopulated modern fairy tale redo; this one based on a Brothers Grimm tale.
Produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, directed by Tommy Wirkola (known for the Norwegian Nazis and zombies flick, "Dead Snow") and due March 2nd, 2012 via Paramount, we're assuming the release date puts it on par with fun, entertaining genre fare like we saw last year ("Source Code," "Paul," "Hanna," but hopefully not "Sucker Punch").
This one will be an interesting picture in the arc of Jeremy Renner's career insofar as it's one of the first "big" (mid-sized) studio films he took after "The Hurt Locker" put him on the map. Too early for SXSW (which starts March 9), it would otherwise be a good guess for the festival.
It's hard to get a good gauge on the film, based on this one picture, but again, see genre fare from last March — it's practically becoming a season (early tentpole) unto itself. But if Renner doesn't do press for it, you know it's a clunker.
Entertainment Weekly, who scores this first look, talked to Arterton and she said the original Brothers Grimm tale is a type of prologue that this film takes further.
"Yes, it continues it," he said. "You see a series of flashbacks with their experience of killing that first witch, which is brilliant. I remember being on set for the final few days of that. The candy house, and the witches are really repulsive and quite frightening. The make-up is out of this world. It’s this bone-chilling scene. Very dark. The girl who plays my character is brilliant, with the horrified expression she has."
What's the tone like? Mostly R-rated. "It’s also very, very dark, and bloodthirsty and there’s a lot of cursing. It’s kind of got a [Quentin] Tarantino feel, really," she said. There was talk this one was going to be in 3D, but EW has no such mention in this article. Presumably conversion is not the way to go with this one, but who knows. See you on March 2nd.