With the second film a disappointment, some might not have had hope for The Huntsman 3 movie news. The fantasy epic Snow White And The Huntsman was one of several high-profile movies that offered new takes on Brothers Grimm fairytales in the hope of launching new franchises. Despite being a solid hit back in 2013, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters hasn’t received a follow-up either, though Disney and Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent spawned a sequel in 2019.
Snow White And The Huntsman cast Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth as the title characters, with Charlize Theron playing villain Queen Ravenna. The 2012 adventure was a surprise success, despite the overall critical reception being mixed. Work soon began on a follow-up, though instead of being a direct sequel, it became a spinoff focusing on Hemsworth’s Huntsman instead. The Huntsman: Winter’s War also brought back Charlize Theron and added Jessica Chastain and Emily Blunt. The movie arrived in 2016 and, like its predecessor, also received lukewarm notices from critics. That said The Huntsman 3 news hasn’t been encouraging since.
Most Recent The Huntsman 3 News
There hasn’t been much in the way of The Huntsman 3 news since The Huntsman: Winter’s War landed in theaters. With its mixed reviews and little box office return, there might not be much The Huntsman 3 news expected. Chris Hemsworth, however, has commented on the movie in the past. When discussing his star on the rise with Variety when Avengers: Endgame was released, he admitted that the film might not have landed well with audiences because of the conflicting tones of the movie. He explained:
I don’t think we ever landed on the point of the film. I thought we wanted to make a not-as-dark version. I felt like I was in a different movie. I was doing one thing, and there were these quite dramatic performances, which were brilliant.
Hemsworth’s confusion about The Huntsman: Winter’s War is understandable. The movie deals with a lot of dark subject matter, and the intention to want the story to feel lighter in spite of that could certainly add to a different approach to the role. That, combined with critics terming the sequel “unnecessary” made it unlikely that anyone was looking for The Huntsman 3 to be greenlit. Hemsworth stayed busy, however, with roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a Ghostbusters reboot, and Extraction on Netflix.
The Huntsman 3 Has Never Been Confirmed
While Universal no doubt hoped The Huntsman: Winter’s War would be the start of a new, Chris Hemsworth-fronted series, the movie grossed less than half of the original and the studio never officially confirmed the development of The Huntsman 3. With a tally of just over $160 million, it seems unlikely the movie broke even for the studio. The sequel also suffered from the loss of Stewart’s Snow White, and ultimately it made little sense to create a sequel that omitted the main character of the original.
It’s been several years since the sequel made little impact at the box office, and there’s been no sign of The Huntsman 3 release date or development being announced. Neither Kristen Stewart nor Chris Hemsworth seems particularly keen on continuing the franchise, and it is likely the studio took the failure of Winter’s War as a sign audiences aren’t eager for more either. Given the success of the original maybe the series could be rebooted or re-worked as TV series someday, but the odds of The Huntsman 3 happening at the stage don’t look great.
The Huntsman 3 Cast
If another sequel, prequel, or spinoff for The Huntsman movies were to be greenlit, there’s at least one person who is unlikely to return for The Huntsman 3 cast. Kristen Stewart turned down the chance to appear in a sequel, disliking the originally planned script. She also turned down the chance to cameo in the story even when the story was no longer centered on Snow White’s character. It’s unlikely she would be interested in returning again so many years after the last movie was made.
Likewise, it’s hard to imagine Charlize Theron or Emily Blunt returning since both of their characters were killed in the sequel. The movie would need a new villain for the titular Huntsman to go up against. The Huntsman 3 cast would work best with Chris Hemsworth and Jessica Chastain returning as the two characters with Huntsman training battling a new evil, but as both of them have led incredibly busy careers since, it’s unlikely they would return either. Hemsworth has the Extraction movies for Netflix and his role as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe filling up much of his time. Chastain has been going back and forth from Broadway to the screen in different projects.
If The Huntsman 3 moves forward, it could still build on the legacy of Huntsman with new cast members though. A new cast could give the movie a fresh start, not holding on to preconceived notions the existing audience might have.
The Huntsman 3 Story
The Huntsman movies initially tried to give a new perspective on an old fairytale, and The Huntsman 3 story could still do that if it moved forward. While the first movie centered on Snow White, the second used the story of Snow White to also adapt the story of the Snow Queen. Though they’re very different fairy tales, the characters can coexist in the same magical world, as the movies proved. The Huntsman 3’s story would likely need to take on a new fairy tale, but rather than spinning out of Snow White’s story, focusing on the Huntsman themselves might work a little better.
After all, audiences are not opposed to grittier fairy tales or to making beloved characters into those who actually hunt magical creatures. The Huntsman 3 could learn a thing or two from Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. Though that movie didn’t earn love from critics or a sequel either, it was more successful at the box office and with general audiences. The idea of fairy tale characters who learned from their experiences as children and grew up to fight back sits well with audiences and could work with the Huntsman-trained characters as well.
If The Huntsman 3 does move forward, it will have to focus on telling a cohesive story that fits into the established universe. There are dozens of fairy tales to choose from to adapt for The Hunstman 3 story as long as it manages to do that.
