Cast Update: Hansel & Gretel The Movie!

Take a look at the two people above. Can Gemma Arterton and Jeremy Renner pass off as brother and sister? Director Tommy Wirkola certainly thinks so. He’s cast them in the titular roles for his re-imagining of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale: “Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters”.

That’s right. The candy-chomping kids apparently grew up to become total badasses. The film is set about 15 years after the incident at the Evil Witch’s Gingerbread House. The siblings now make a living as supernatural bounty hunters, and their specialty is of course witches. And who’s playing the head honcho of the coven of nasty witches? Former Bond girl and one-time member of the X-Men Famke Janssen.

So far, I’m liking the cast. These aren’t names you’d normally associate with projects like these, save for Arterton who’s had experience in period fantasy roles (“Clash Of The Titans”). But even Arterton has been more of a background character in those films. Now, she’s the main player. Renner is sure to be good in anything he appears in. And Janssen should have no problems bringing the menace as the baddie. As for the director, his debut “Dead Snow” was a cool take on the zombie genre, but suffered from weak writing. Which is what concerns me about this project. The premise has potential but could just as easily slip into cheesiness and overblown territory, ala Stephen Sommers’ godawful “Van Helsing”.

We shall see.