The Huntsman: Winter's War | |
---|---|
Directed by | Cedric Nicolas-Troyan |
Written by | |
Based on | Characters created by Evan Daugherty |
Produced by | Joe Roth |
Starring | |
Narrated by | Liam Neeson |
Cinematography | Phedon Papamichael |
Edited by | Conrad Buff |
Music by | James Newton Howard |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 114 minutes [1] 120 minutes (extended edition) |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $115 million [2] |
Box office | $165 million [3] |
The Huntsman: Winter's War is a 2016 American fantasy action-adventure film. Billed as both a prequel and sequel to Snow White & the Huntsman (2012), it marks the directorial debut of Cedric Nicolas-Troyan. [a] It takes place before and after the events of the first film. The screenplay was written by Craig Mazin and Evan Spiliotopoulos and is based on characters created by Evan Daugherty. [b] Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Nick Frost and Sam Claflin reprised their roles from the first film, with Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain and Rob Brydon joining.
The Huntsman: Winter's War premiered in Hamburg in March 2016, and was released in the United States on April 22, 2016, by Universal Pictures to negative reviews from critics. Praise was directed at the visuals and cast but many felt the film was unnecessary. It grossed $165 million worldwide against a $115 million production budget, becoming a box office bomb.
The evil sorceress Queen Ravenna's Magic Mirror tells her that her younger sister Princess Freya, whose powers due to every woman of their family having magic have not yet emerged, is not only involved in an illicit affair with the nobleman Andrew, but is also pregnant with his illegitimate child. Freya gives birth to a daughter and plans to run away with him so they can be together, but later discovers Andrew has murdered her.
In a grief-fueled rage, Freya's broken heart freezes over, and Freya kills Andrew with the sudden emergence of her powers—the cryokinetic ability to create and control ice and snow, sleet, frost and hail with her mind. Heartbroken, she leaves, building herself a kingdom in the icy mountains of the north.
Ruling as the much-feared Snow Queen, Freya orders for parents to be killed and their children brought to her castle so they can be trained as her army. She teaches them to avoid the pain of love that she had suffered; despite this, two of her best huntsmen, Eric and Sara, fall in love. Sara claims him in "marriage" by giving him her mother's medallion. Planning to escape to have a free life together, they are discovered by Freya using her magic to spy on them. Eric sees Sara killed while he is beaten and thrown into a river.
Seven years later, after Queen Ravenna's death in the first film, Queen Snow White of Tabor falls ill after hearing the Mirror beckon her. Due to its dark magic, she orders it to be taken to Sanctuary, the same magical place that sheltered her and Eric during the events leading to her stepmother's defeat and death.
Snow White's husband King William informs Eric that the soldiers tasked with carrying the Mirror went missing en route. Aware that its dark magic can strengthen Snow Queen Freya, the Huntsman agrees to try and retrieve the Mirror; Queen Snow White's dwarf ally Nion and his half-brother Gryff accompany him.
Traveling to the last location of the soldiers, Eric discovers they killed each another with their own weapons. The trio is attacked by Freya's huntsmen but rescued by Sara, who is revealed to be alive. She explains that she was imprisoned by Freya and only escaped recently.
Sara has not forgiven Eric, believing he abandoned her. They decipher that he was shown an illusion of Sara's death while she was made to see him running rather than fighting. Eric convinces Sara that Freya had tricked them both.
The group goes to the forest of the goblins who had stolen the mirror. During the fight, Sara notices that Eric still wears the necklace she gave him. They retrieve the mirror and save each other in another fight. That night, Eric and Sara make love.
The next morning, Freya attacks and reveals that Sara had been loyal to her all along. Sara shoots an arrow at Eric, and Freya departs with the Mirror, unaware that she had purposely hit Eric's medallion necklace, which protects him from dying. At her palace, Freya asks the Mirror who is the "fairest of them all," resurrecting Ravenna, whose dark vital essence became one with the Magic Mirror when Princess Snow White vanquished and killed her.
Eric attempts to assassinate Snow Queen Freya, but is stopped by Ravenna, who begins to attack the huntsmen. Freya, who regards the Huntsmen as her children, protects them from her sister with an ice wall. As Eric, Sara, and the huntsmen climb the wall to retrieve the Mirror and help Freya, the sisters argue.
Ravenna lets slip that she's responsible for Freya's powers. Suspicious, Snow Queen Freya forces her to reveal that the Mirror had told her Freya's child would become more beautiful than Ravenna herself. She then enchanted Andrew to kill his own newborn daughter.
Outraged, Snow Queen Freya turns on Ravenna, who impales her. With her last remaining strength, she cryokinetically freezes the Mirror and Eric shatters it, destroying the essence of Queen Ravenna. As Freya dies, she smiles at a vision of her younger self holding her daughter as well as at Eric and Sara; her last words being, "How lucky you are."
With the death of the Snow Queen, those who had been imprisoned by her are set free. Eric and Sara are finally able to have a life together for the first time.
In a post credits scene, Snow White is seen standing on her balcony and the golden crow lands beside her. The screen cuts to black.
A sequel to Snow White & the Huntsman was initially planned with director Rupert Sanders in talks to return. [4] The sequel plans were changed in August 2012 to a spin-off film concentrating on the Huntsman instead. [5] Universal announced a few days later that they were not shelving the sequel. [6] Another report stated that Universal authorised a sequel [7] with Stewart set to reprise her role, but without Sanders to return as the director. [8] A script was written and production was set to begin at some point in 2013, [7] with the film to be released in 2015. [9] On June 4, 2014, Deadline reported that Frank Darabont, Gavin O'Connor and Andrés Muschietti were on the shortlist to direct a sequel. [10] On June 26, 2014, Deadline confirmed that Darabont was in talks to direct the sequel. [11]
In 2014 it was announced that the film would be a prequel titled Huntsman and would not star Stewart as Snow White. [12] [13] Two years later, Stewart said that she voluntarily turned down an offer from the studio to provide a cameo in the film. [14] On January 16, 2015, it was announced that Darabont had exited the film after he parted with Universal. [15] Hemsworth and Theron were set to return for the film, while Emily Blunt was being circled for a new role. [15] In 2015 it was confirmed that VFX specialist Cedric Nicolas-Troyan was set to direct the film, whose last draft was written by Darabont, following drafts by Craig Mazin and Evan Spiliotopoulos. [16]
In 2015 Jessica Chastain was set to star in the film, Nick Frost was confirmed to reprise his previous role, while Blunt, who had been rumored to be interested, finally closed a deal to star as well. [17] On March 18, 2015, it was revealed that Sheridan Smith, Rob Brydon and Alexandra Roach were added to the cast to play dwarves alongside Frost's character Nion. [18] TheWrap confirmed on May 7, 2015, that Sam Claflin would return as William in the sequel. [19]
Principal photography on the film began in April 2015. [20] Filming took place at Waverley Abbey in Surrey, England in April 2015. [21] Filming also occurred from May to July 2015 in Windsor Great Park, England, at locations including South Forest, Johnson's Pond and in the Deer Park near Snow Hill. [22] Filming was also done in Wells Bishop's Palace and Wells Cathedral. [22] [23] In July 2015, filming also took place at Puzzlewood, in the Forest of Dean. [24]
In October 2015, it was officially announced, that James Newton Howard would return to score the film, after creating the music for Snow White & the Huntsman . The score album was released on April 22, 2016. [25] Singer Halsey promoted the film by releasing an alternate version of her song "Castle", along with a subsequent music video, made for the film.
All music is composed by James Newton Howard (tracks 1–21)
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Huntsman" | 3:48 | ||
2. | "Lacrimosa" | 0:53 | ||
3. | "You're Carrying His Child" | 2:17 | ||
4. | "The Children Arrive" | 5:03 | ||
5. | "You Shouldn't Walk in Shadows" | 3:23 | ||
6. | "Freya's Spell" | 5:22 | ||
7. | "Freya Prepares for War" | 1:51 | ||
8. | "Tavern Brawl" | 2:08 | ||
9. | "That's Not What Happened" | 3:35 | ||
10. | "Where's My Horse?" | 1:47 | ||
11. | "The Proposition" | 2:10 | ||
12. | "The Goblin Forest" | 3:45 | ||
13. | "Goblin King" | 2:05 | ||
14. | "The Goblin Fight" | 3:15 | ||
15. | "We Are Worth for Each Other" | 1:52 | ||
16. | "Have You Been True?" | 2:33 | ||
17. | "Kill Him" | 4:24 | ||
18. | "Ravenna Returns" | 4:13 | ||
19. | "This Is My Kingdom" | 3:42 | ||
20. | "Stand or Fall Together" | 8:22 | ||
21. | "Ravenna's Embrace" | 3:27 | ||
22. | "Castle" | Halsey | 4:20 | |
Total length: | 1:14:15 |
On July 31, 2014, Universal Pictures announced the film's release date would be April 22, 2016. [12] In February 2016, it was announced that the film would be released in 3D in international markets like Germany. In Poland, the theatrical release was scheduled for April 8, 2016, which was the date for many other international markets. [26]
On November 16, 2015, Universal Pictures unveiled four character posters for the film, along with the film's new title, The Huntsman: Winter's War. [27] Three days later, on November 18, 2015, the first official trailer of the film was released, along with two additional teaser posters. [28] A second trailer debuted on February 11, 2016. [29] Universal released a final trailer on March 22, 2016. [30] Hemsworth, Theron and Chastain introduced a performance by Halsey of "Castle" at the 2016 MTV Movie Awards.
The Huntsman: Winter's War was released on Digital HD in August 2016 and was followed by a release on Blu-ray and DVD on August 23, 2016. [31] [32] The film debuted at No. 1 on the home video sales chart. [33] A Blu-ray extended edition (with DVD & digital HD) was also released with a run time of 120 minutes.
The Huntsman: Winter's War grossed $48.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $116.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $165 million, against a production budget of $115 million. [3] The Hollywood Reporter estimated the film lost the studio at least $75 million when factoring together all expenses and revenues. [34]
In the United States and Canada, early tracking suggested the film would open to $24–30 million, which was significantly lower than its predecessor's $56.2 million opening in 2012. The film opened in 3,791 theaters [35] [36] [37] and grossed $7.3 million on its first day, [38] including $1 million from its early Thursday night previews. [39] In its opening weekend, it grossed a lower-than-expected $19.4 million, which was about 64% less than the original film's opening. [40] [41] Due to its underperforming opening weekend, the film lost Universal $30–40 million, with some estimates having the total losses at up to $70 million. [42]
Internationally The Huntsman: Winter's War was released in a total of 65 countries. [43] There were some estimates that the film would end its run at about $150 million internationally, which would have been lower than its predecessor's total of $240 million. One notable difference was that while Winter's War had secured a release date in China, Snow White & the Huntsman had not played there and analysts believed that could make "some difference". [44] It was released in 18 countries two weeks ahead of its U.S. debut, earning $19.1 million from 3,969 screens and had No. 1 openings in eleven of them and second overall at the international box office charts, behind the superhero film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice . [45] In its second weekend, it added 7 new markets and grossed a total of $17.8 million, falling only by 8% from its previews weekend and still remained at No. 2, behind The Jungle Book . [44] It was still No. 2 in its third weekend. [46] Its top openings occurred in China ($10.4 million), the United Kingdom and Ireland ($4.2 million), Brazil ($3.1 million), Mexico ($2.8 million), France ($2.6 million), Korea ($2.1 million), Russia ($2 million), the Philippines ($1.6 million), Malaysia ($1.6 million), Spain ($1.4 million) and Thailand ($1.2 million). [44] [45] [46] In China, it was in third place, behind local pic Yesterday Once More and the continued run of The Jungle Book. [46] It lost a large number of screens in its second weekend due to the arrival of three new local pics—Book of Love, Phantom of the Theater and MBA Partners—along with the continued run of The Jungle Book and as a result it grossed just $710,000. [47] [48]
In terms of total earnings, its largest markets outside of North America are China ($15.6 million), the UK ($7.3 million) and Mexico ($7.2 million). [47]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 20% of 220 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.3/10.The website's consensus reads: "The Huntsman: Winter's War is visually arresting and boasts a stellar cast, but neither are enough to recommend this entirely unnecessary sequel." [49] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 35 out of 100, based on 41 critics, indicating "generally unfavourable reviews". [50] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale and PostTrak surveys give it a total positive score of 72%, but only a 49% audience recommendation. [39]
Award | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Golden Trailer Awards | Best Action | "No Mercy" | Nominated | [51] |
Best Fantasy Adventure | "Mirror Online" | Nominated | ||
The Don LaFontaine Award for Best Voice Over | "Mirror Online" | Nominated | ||
Best Motion/Title Graphics | "Mirror Online" | Nominated | ||
Jupiter Awards | Best International Actor | Chris Hemsworth | Nominated | [52] |
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie: Sci-Fi/Fantasy | The Huntsman: Winter's War | Nominated | [53] |
Choice Movie: Actor Sci-Fi/Fantasy | Chris Hemsworth | Nominated | ||
Choice Movie: Actress Sci-Fi/Fantasy | Charlize Theron | Nominated | ||
Choice Movie: Villain | Charlize Theron | Nominated | ||
Choice Movie: Liplock | Chris Hemsworth & Jessica Chastain | Nominated | ||
Choice Music: Song from a Movie or TV Show | "Castle" by Halsey | Nominated |
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1937 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. Based on the 1812 German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, the production was supervised by David Hand, and was directed by a team of sequence directors, including Perce Pearce, William Cottrell, Larry Morey, Wilfred Jackson, and Ben Sharpsteen. It is the first animated feature film produced in the United States and the first cel animated feature film.
"Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection Grimms' Fairy Tales, numbered as Tale 53. The original German title was Sneewittchen; the modern spelling is Schneewittchen. The Grimms completed their final revision of the story in 1854, which can be found in the 1857 version of Grimms' Fairy Tales.
The Evil Queen, also called the Wicked Queen or simply the Queen, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of "Snow White", a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. The most popular adaptation of the Evil Queen is from Disney's Snow White. The character has also become an archetype that has inspired unrelated works.
Frank Árpád Darabont is an American screenwriter, director and producer.
Emily Olivia Laura Blunt is a British actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and four British Academy Film Awards. Forbes ranked her as one of the highest-paid actresses in the world in 2020.
Christopher Hemsworth is an Australian actor. He rose to prominence playing Kim Hyde in the Australian television series Home and Away (2004–2007) before beginning a film career in Hollywood. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Hemsworth starred as Thor in the 2011 film of the same name and reprised the role in several subsequent installments, which established him among the world's highest-paid actors.
The Seven Dwarfs are fictional dwarfs in the 1812 fairy tale Snow White by the Brothers Grimm and other renditions and adaptations.
Snow White & the Huntsman is a 2012 American fantasy action-adventure film based on the German fairy tale "Snow White" compiled by the Brothers Grimm. The directorial debut of Rupert Sanders, it was written by Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock, and Hossein Amini, from a screen story by Daugherty. The cast includes Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, and Bob Hoskins in his final film performance. In the film's retelling of the tale, Snow White grows up imprisoned by her evil stepmother, Queen Ravenna, a powerful sorceress. After Snow White escapes into the forest, Ravenna enlists Eric the Huntsman to capture her, but he becomes her companion in a quest to overthrow Ravenna.
Rupert Miles Sanders is an English film director. Sanders directed the films Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), Ghost in the Shell (2017), and The Crow (2024). He also directed the pilot episode of the Apple TV+ science fiction series Foundation.
Evan Daugherty is an American screenwriter. He wrote the films Killing Season, Snow White and the Huntsman and the film adaptation of Divergent.
Grimm's Snow White is a 2012 American fantasy film produced by The Asylum and directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg. Loosely based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Snow White, the film stars Jane March, Eliza Bennett and Jamie Thomas King.
The Magic Mirror is a mystical object that is featured in the story of Snow White, depicted as either a hand mirror or a wall-mounted mirror.
Alice Through the Looking Glass is a 2016 American live-action/animated fantasy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Pictures in association with Roth Films, Team Todd, and Tim Burton Productions. It was directed by James Bobin, written by Linda Woolverton, and produced by Tim Burton, Joe Roth, and the filmmaking duo of Suzanne and Jennifer Todd. It is based on the characters created by Lewis Carroll and is the sequel to Alice in Wonderland (2010). Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter, Matt Lucas, Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, Barbara Windsor, Timothy Spall, Paul Whitehouse, Lindsay Duncan, Geraldine James, and Leo Bill reprise their roles from the previous film with Rhys Ifans and Sacha Baron Cohen joining the cast.
The Jungle Book is a 2016 American fantasy adventure film directed and produced by Jon Favreau, written by Justin Marks and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. It is a live-action animated remake of Disney's 1967 animated film The Jungle Book, which itself is loosely based on Rudyard Kipling's story collection The Jungle Book. Neel Sethi plays Mowgli, the orphaned human boy who, guided by his animal guardians, sets out on a journey of self-discovery while evading the threatening Shere Khan. The film includes voice and motion capture performances from Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johansson, Giancarlo Esposito, and Christopher Walken.
Fifty Shades Darker is a 2017 American erotic romantic drama film directed by James Foley and written by Niall Leonard, based on E. L. James's 2012 novel of the same name. Produced by Michael De Luca Productions and Trigger Street Productions, and distributed by Universal Pictures, it is the second installment in the Fifty Shades film series and the sequel to the 2015 film Fifty Shades of Grey. The film stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan as Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, respectively, with Eric Johnson, Eloise Mumford, Bella Heathcote, Rita Ora, Luke Grimes, Victor Rasuk, Kim Basinger, and Marcia Gay Harden in supporting roles. It follows Ana and Christian as they must decide to rekindle their relationship, this time with "no rules, no punishments, and no more secrets" terms.
Andrés Walter Muschietti is an Argentine film director and screenwriter who had his breakthrough with the 2013 film Mama. He gained further recognition for directing both films in the It film series, the 2017 film adaptation of the Stephen King novel and its 2019 sequel, It Chapter Two. In 2023, he directed the DC Extended Universe film The Flash.
Evan Spiliotopoulos is a Greek-American screenwriter, film producer, and film director.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a 2017 American fantasy adventure comedy film directed by Jake Kasdan from a screenplay by the writing teams of Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, and Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner, based on a story conceived by McKenna. The film is the third installment in the Jumanji film series and a sequel to Jumanji (1995). It stars Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Rhys Darby and Bobby Cannavale. The story focuses on a group of teenagers who come across Jumanji, now transformed into a video game twenty-two years after the events of the 1995 film. They find themselves trapped inside the game as a set of adult avatars, seeking to complete a treacherous quest alongside another player who has been trapped since 1996.
The Snow Queen 2, is a 2014 Russian animated fantasy comedy film directed by Aleksey Tsitsilin. It is the sequel to The Snow Queen (2012). The film follows the story of troll Orm who gets mired again in lies and financial irresponsibility after he sees a reflection while working as a miner. The vainglorious troll Orm gets a chance to become a hero again when the Troll King Arrog proclaims the decree that whoever rescues his royal family trapped at the palace of the Snow Queen will receive a grand prize.
Disney's Snow White, or simply Snow White, is an upcoming American musical fantasy film directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Marc Platt Productions, it is a live-action reimagining of Walt Disney Productions' 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which itself is based on the 1812 fairy tale "Snow White" by the Brothers Grimm. The film stars Rachel Zegler, Andrew Burnap, and Gal Gadot.
Sam Claflin, who played Snow White's love interest William in "Snow White and the Huntsman," will return for Universal's sequel "The Huntsman,"
PostTrak has a total positive score at 72% (either very good or excellent) with only 49% of the audience recommending it to their friends, and that's low. Despite winning over both the under-25 and under-18 crowds with an A- CinemaScore, the sheer power of Jungle Book is one of the factors holding this demo back from Huntsman this weekend.