The Last Witch Hunter 2 is now officially happening. The first installment was released in 2015 and stars Vin Diesel and Michael Caine in the leading roles, focusing on Diesel’s character, a witch hunter, who is humanity’s last hope to be saved from horrifying witches. The movie was directed by Breck Eisner.

The Last Witch Hunter was evidently not well-received by critics at the time. The movie has an 18% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, marking it rotten, and only a slightly more respectable 44% Popcornmeter from audiences. It grossed $146.9 million on an estimated $90 million budget, making it a box office flop.

Lionsgate has now confirmed active development on a sequel to The Last Witch Hunter. Diesel will reprise his leading role of Kaulder in the follow-up film, while Caine is still finalizing his deal with the studio, but is said to be attached to play Dolan again. The new movie will be developed alongside One Race Films.

Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson commented on the sequel’s development in this statement:

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 appeтιтe 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.

What The Sequel’s Development Means For The Last Witch Hunter

Lionsgate also revealed how The Last Witch Hunter is part of its broader production strategy. The company is dedicated to identifying which IPs have the best staying power, increasing the chances of a successful sequel.

For The Last Witch Hunter, staying power manifested through streaming success and other post-theatrical metrics. Though its less than $150 million gross may not in and of itself be considered particularly extraordinary, the film ended up doing well in ancillary markets. This year, it even saw a streaming resurgence on Netflix.

This explains Fogelson’s confidence in his statement regarding the production of The Last Witch Hunter sequel. Using verbiage like “enduring enthusiasm,” the chair seems confident that The Last Witch Hunter 2 can be a big theatrical success. It is this kind of studio backing that can, in turn, help the film succeed.

Our Take On The Last Witch Hunter Sequel

The key for The Last Witch Hunter 2 will be to deliver on the promise of technical improvement. While the Diesel name as well as the streaming momentum could help the sequel film succeed, the team is already making big promises when it comes to improving its visual elements.

Specifically, they promise to put forth a film that exists on an even more “ambitious scale.” To produce at such a scale while still not overdoing it on the budget is a challenge. But if Lionsgate plays their cards right, however, perhaps they can deliver on a The Last Witch Hunter 2 that is even more successful than the first movie.