Vin Diesel already has one billion-dollar baby in the Fast & Furious franchise, but Lionsgate is hoping that he can make room for one more multi-movie commitment in his busy schedule. Ahead of The Last Witch Hunter hitting theaters this fall, Diesel has taken to Facebook to reveal that the studio is so hot on the property that it wants the actor to sign on for and block out time to shoot a sequel.
The star’s post strikes a tone of wry yet giddy amusement – Diesel is an extremely active personality on social media, so it makes sense that he’d want to tease fans with the idea of yet another franchise featuring him as an invincible badass:
So the studio apparently is so excited by the Last Witch Hunter – The Axe and Cross franchise… that they are already…
Posted by Vin Diesel on Wednesday, June 17, 2015
It’s crazy how quickly Lionsgate is moving on The Last Witch Hunter, especially because the fantasy genre hasn’t birthed a ton of profitable series in recent years. Screen Gems was similarly gung-ho about The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones launching a franchise in 2013, to the point where the studio had greenlit a sequel and tapped Sigourney Weaver for a role before witnessing the first film become a crushing box office disappointment. This movie will be a huge test of whether Diesel’s star power alone can power a movie – the Furious films have always seen him supported by insane visuals and a top-tier cast including Dwayne Johnson.
What’s immediately worrying about The Last Witch Hunter‘s prospects, though, is the amount of competition it’s going up against. Jem and the Holograms, Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension and Rock the Kasbah debut the same weekend, but the real threats are Bridge of Spies, Crimson Peak and Goosebumps, which all hit the weekend before. Crimson Peak looks amazing, so horror-fantasy fans will likely look there to spend their hard-earned cash, and The Last Witch Hunter is opening in very close proximity without as much demonstrated quality (yet).
Regardless, The Last Witch Hunter arrives October 23. Lionsgate execs will be watching eagerly to see how the pic performs.
