Vin Diesel isn’t always spot on when it comes to predicting big successful franchises in the making (xXx springs to mind), but that doesn’t stop him. Especially when he has the megaphone that is Facebook. He’s taken to his personal page to say that Lionsgate/ Summit is developing a sequel to his latest action/adventure, **The Last Witch Hunter.
The first film, of course, hasn’t even hit cinemas, nor has it put out more than a teaser so far. But according to the man himself, we could be looking at more quests against the forces of darkness with his valiant, immortal warrior, Kaulder. “So the studio apparently is so excited by The Last Witch Hunter – The Axe and Cross franchise… that they are already commencing on the next one,” says Diesel. “The first one doesn’t hit theaters until October 23, yet they want me to commit and already block out time to film it."
In case you weren’t aware, the movie takes place in a world where powerful, magical witches from years ago have survived into the present day. Hell bent on spreading a deadly plague to wipe out mankind, they have but one real foe: the armies of Witch Hunters who do battle against their wicked ways. One such is Kaulder, who was able to slay the Queen Witch, but not before she cursed him with some of her immortality, forcing him to outlive his family and continue his mission hundreds of years later. Now, with the Queen Witch resurrected, Kaulder faces an epic battle for the very future of us all.
With Breck Eisner directing, the film also features Rose Leslie, Michael Caine, Elijah Wood and Julie Engelbrecht. While American audiences do indeed get the film in October, we here in the UK must wait until November 6. As to the future of the franchise? That’ll likely depend on the response to the first, but it sounds like the studio wants to move ahead quickly if it’s a hit.