Michael Caine joins ‘The Last Witch Hunter 2’
(L to R) Michael Caine and Vin DIesel in ‘The Last Witch Hunter’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Preview:
- Michael Caine is making a deal to appear in ‘The Last Witch Hunter 2’.
- He’d reprise his role as a priest named Dolan.
- Vin Diesel is back to star.
If you had asked us what would tempt Michael Caine –– who at the age of 90 in 2023 announced his official retirement from acting –– back into the game, we’d probably had guessed a call from Christopher Nolan, with whom Caine has worked several times.
But no… Turns out what really made him want to come back to screens is a sequel to a 2015 Vin Diesel vehicle called ‘The Last Witch Hunter’. Or perhaps just his close friendship with Vin (no, really, Caine thinks the world of Diesel).
“Live forever. Hunt forever.”
Release Date: Oct 23, 2015
Run Time: 1 hr 46 min
Budget: $90,000,000
Either way, Caine is making a deal to return for the sequel, which will once more see Diesel as a warrior committed to ending the evil schemes of (checks notes) oh yes, witches.
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What was the story of ‘The Last Witch Hunter’?
Vin DIesel in ‘The Last Witch Hunter’. Photo: Lionsgate.
The 2015 original, directed by Breck Eisner, saw Diesel as Kaulder, a valiant warrior who back in the past managed to slay the all-powerful Queen Witch, decimating her followers in the process.
In the moments right before her death, the Queen curses Kaulder with her own immortality, forever separating him from his beloved wife and daughter in the afterlife. Today Kaulder is the only one of his kind remaining, and has spent centuries hunting down rogue witches, all the while yearning for his long-lost loved ones.
However, unbeknownst to Kaulder, the Queen Witch is resurrected and seeks revenge on her killer causing an epic battle that will determine the survival of the human race…
Caine in the movie played Dolan, a priest who helps Kaulder on his mission. As for what the sequel will be about, we can guess there will be a fresh witchy threat.
Michael Caine and ‘The Last Witch Hunter 2’: the studio talks
(L to R) Elijah Wood and Vin Diesel in ‘The Last Witch Hunter’. Photo: Lionsgate.
The idea of a sequel is somewhat surprising since the original made $27 million in the States against a $90 million budget. But a healthier take globally and a real second life across the likes of Netflix have spurred Lionsgate to develop a follow-up.
Here’s studio Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson had to say:
“ ‘The Last Witch Hunter’ has grown since its theatrical release into a global fan favorite, with audiences continuing to discover and rewatch it across every platform over the past decade. That enduring enthusiasm made clear there is an appetite for more stories set in this world. Vin and I have partnered many times over the years, and he is a true force in our industry. I’m thrilled to be reuniting with him as he returns to this iconic role, and excited by how advancements in filmmaking technology now allow us to economically deliver a sequel on an even more ambitious scale.”
It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off.
Vin DIesel in ‘The Last Witch Hunter’. Photo: Lionsgate.