Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Tommy Wirkola
Produced by	Will Ferrell Beau Flynn Adam McKay Kevin Messick
Written by	Tommy Wirkola
Starring	Jeremy Renner Gemma Arterton Famke Janssen Peter Stormare Thomas Mann Pihla Viitala Derek Mears
Music by	Atli Örvarsson
Cinematography	Michael Bonvillain
Edited by	Jim Page
Production companies	MTV Films Gary Sanchez Productions Studio Babelsberg
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures
Release date	January 17, 2013 (2013-01-17) (Russia) January 25, 2013 (2013-01-25) (United States) February 28, 2013 (2013-02-28) (Germany)
Running time	88 minutes
Country	United States Germany
Language	English
Budget	$50 million
Box office	$226.3 million

Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters is a 2013 German-American dark fantasy action horror comedy film written and directed by Tommy Wirkola. It is a continuation to the German folklore fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel", in which the titular siblings are now grown up and working as a duo of witch exterminators for hire. The film stars Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Famke Janssen, Peter Stormare, Thomas Mann, Pihla Viitala and Derek Mears.

Originally scheduled for release in March 2012, Hansel & Gretel was delayed for ten months to accommodate Renner's appearances in The Avengers and The Bourne Legacy and to give Wirkola time to shoot a post-credits scene. It premiered in North America on January 25, 2013, in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D, as well in D-Box motion theaters and select international 4DX theaters, and was rated R in the United States. The film had its home media release on June 11, including a longer, unrated version on Blu-ray.

The film was panned by mainstream critics, particularly for what they saw as its weak script and gratuitous violence. However, many horror genre critics were more positive, viewing the film as unpretentiously entertaining. The film topped the domestic box office on its opening weekend and was a major hit in Brazil, Russia, Germany, and Mexico. Its worldwide theatrical run gross exceeded $226 million for the production cost of $50 million. Due to the commercial success of the film, which was planned as the first part of a series, its sequel is currently in development.