Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters 2013

Abandoned by their father in the heart of a forest one fateful night, young Hansel (Cedric Eich) and Gretel (Alea Sophia Boudodimos) stumble upon a charming gingerbread house, only to be captured by the wicked witch who inhabits it. The witch forces Hansel to indulge in an endless feast of sweets while compelling Gretel to prepare the oven for cooking. However, before she can feast on them, the crafty siblings turn the tables and throw her into the very oven she intended to use on them.

Years later, Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) have become fierce bounty hunters, specializing in hunting down witches. Their unique immunity to harmful witchcraft allows them to thrive in their dangerous profession, although Hansel now manages his diabetes with daily insulin shots—a lingering consequence of his terrifying childhood experience.

One day, while in the German town of Augsburg, the siblings intervene to save Mina (Pihla Viitala), a young woman wrongfully accused of witchcraft, from the clutches of Sheriff Berringer (Peter Stormare](/actor/peter-stormare)). Tasked by Mayor Englemann (Rainer Bock) to locate several missing children believed to have been taken by witches, Hansel and Gretel find themselves in a race against time. Unfortunately, Sheriff Berringer enlists four trackers to pursue the same goal, aiming to earn back the Mayor’s favor. However, tragedy strikes when three of the trackers perish at the hands of the grand witch Muriel (Famke Janssen), who sends a chilling warning to the townsfolk and the siblings alike.

With the aid of the Mayor’s loyal assistant Jackson (Bjørn Sundquist), Hansel and Gretel manage to capture the Tall Witch (Zoe Bell) and extract critical information revealing the witches’ sinister plans for the upcoming Feast of the Blood Moon. The witches require the sacrifice of twelve children—six boys and six girls, each born in a different month—to fulfill their malevolent ritual. When the siblings discover that one more girl is needed, Berringer stubbornly refuses to help them locate her.

Chaos ensues when Muriel, the Candy Witch, along with the troll Edward (Robin Atkin Downes/Ingrid Bolsø Berdal), attacks the town and snatches away the target girl while also freeing her comrade from incarceration. During the skirmish, Gretel is knocked unconscious but is rescued by a local boy named Ben (Thomas Mann), who aspires to be a witch hunter. Meanwhile, Hansel struggles in the aftermath of grabbing a fleeing Candy Witch by her broomstick, only to fall into the forest depths.

The following morning, Hansel finds solace and healing from Mina, who tends to his wounds at a tranquil spring. When Gretel bravely ventures into the forest to find her brother, she falls into a trap set by Berringer and his men, who accuse her of luring witches to their village. Just then, the fierce troll Edward intervenes, combating Berringer’s henchmen and carrying Gretel away to a waterfall to mend her injuries. As the plot thickens, they ultimately reunite at a decrepit cabin, shocking to discover that it is not only their childhood home but also a witch’s lair.

In a shocking twist, Muriel appears and reveals the hidden truths about their past. The siblings learn that their mother, Adrianna (Kathrin Kühnel), was a white witch who sacrificed her kind by marrying a farmer (Thomas Scharff). On the night of the Blood Moon, the heart of a white witch is the key ingredient for a spell that grants witches immunity to flames. Muriel, realizing Gretel is also a white witch, targets her with the intention of performing the sacrifice. In a tearful farewell, their father attempts to save them, only to be hanged by the villagers while witnessing Adrianna’s execution.

Enraged, the siblings confront Muriel, leading to a fierce battle. However, the climax takes a dire turn when Muriel stabs Hansel and kidnaps Gretel for the ominous ceremony. Awakening to find Mina at his side, Hansel learns she is also a white witch. After Mina blesses their weapons, they, along with Ben, ascend a hill to foil the witches’ dark plans. With Mina mowing down countless witches using a Gatling gun, Hansel bravely confronts Muriel’s minions, freeing the captured children while Edward defies Muriel’s orders, helping Gretel escape before meeting a tragic end.

As dawn approaches, the ceremony falls apart, and the surviving witches attempt to flee on broomsticks, only to meet a grim fate at the hands of piano wire traps set by Ben. In a fateful encounter, Gretel revives an unconscious Edward, and they join forces to pursue Muriel back to the old gingerbread house. A bitter confrontation ensues, resulting in a devastating fight where Mina tragically falls at Muriel’s hands. Ultimately, the siblings engage in a fierce struggle against Muriel, leading to her decapitation with a shovel.

With their victory secured, Hansel and Gretel bask in the triumph of saving the children, collecting their reward before setting off on their next adventure, this time accompanied by Ben and the resurrected Edward.