Despite taking a critical savaging and performing sluggishly with domestic audiences, Paramount has given the green light to a sequel to Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters .
The film scored just $54m in the US, and with a raft of poor reviews hanging around its neck, it seemed as though the film would be quickly swept under the carpet by Paramount executives.
However, with a haul of more than $150m overseas, and a relatively modest budget of $50m, the film has apparently been profitable enough to warrant a follow up.
Whether or not Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton will return to reprise their roles remains to be seen, although we'd be surprised if they're contracts didn't include multi-picture deals. That could turn out to be something of a mixed blessing...
Tommy Wirkola wrote and directed the first film, but he too has yet to be confirmed as a returnee. Perhaps some fresh blood might make this one a slightly more appetising proposition second time out.
