Thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy, the world may be in love with a dancing baby Groot, but Vin Diesel – who memorably provided the character’s voice in Marvel’s latest smash hit – certainly isn’t taking it easy following that film’s success. Instead, the actor has a number of projects in the works, including next year’s Fast & Furious 7 and his in-development return to the xXx franchise.
However, The Last Witch Hunter is one of the few upcoming films on Diesel’s schedule that doesn’t depend on an existing fanbase. In fact, it marks the actor’s first onscreen non-sequel role since Babylon A.D., which grossed a disappointing $72 million worldwide in 2008. That means its success will lie largely on how well it’s sold to moviegoers, especially since fantasy adventures can be particularly hit-or-miss at the box office (ask the stars of either of this year’s Hercules films).
Ever the social media presence, Diesel – who has more than 85 million followers on Facebook alone – took to his Facebook page to tease what fans can expect from The Last Witch Hunter. Here’s what he had to say:
“The more we film, the more I think you will really enjoy this movie. Kaulder is a very unique and interesting character, who has lived for centuries with one foot in reality and the other, in the realm of magic.”
Directed by Breck Eisner (The Crazies, Sahara), the film stars Diesel as Kaulder, the titular immortal warrior who must team up with a young witch (Rose Leslie a.k.a. Ygritte on Game of Thrones) in order to prevent a powerful coven from unleashing a plague onto humanity.
As Diesel describes it, the movie does sound like it could be a mystical modern-day adventure in the vein of something like Constantine. At this point, it’s impossible to tell how the finished film will turn out, but it could wind up being another hit for Diesel, whose career has been on a hot streak ever since he returned to his signature role in the fourth Fast & Furious film in 2009.
Between that series, Riddick, xXx and now Guardians of the Galaxy, Diesel has almost as many active franchises on his plate as Fast Five co-star Dwayne Johnson. That being said, it could be a nice change of pace for both the actor and his fans to give those roles a breather. Here’s hoping The Last Witch Hunter delivers the goods.
Are you excited to see Diesel try something new in The Last Witch Hunter? Sound off in the comments below.
The Last Witch Hunter is expected to hit theaters in October 2015. Stay tuned to Screen Rant for updates.
