Jessica Chastain will join Chris Hemsworth in Universal’s spinoff “The Huntsman.”
Cedric Nicolas-Troyan is directing “The Huntsman” after former “Walking Dead” showrunner Frank Darabont left the project. Darabont wrote the screenplay, with earlier drafts by Craig Mazin and Evan Spiliotopoulos.
Hemsworth and Charlize Theron are returning to play the Huntsman and Ravenna, respectively. The new film returns to the world of Snow White and the Huntsman, but focuses on the Huntsman and Ravenna’s lives before the arrival of Snow White (played by Kristen Stewart in the original). Emily Blunt will also star in the film, which is set for release on April 22, 2016.
Joe Roth is producing, while Palak Patel has executive producecer credits. Maradith Frenkel and Chloe Yellin will oversee the project for the studio.
Chastain just wrapped work on “The Martian,” which she stars in with Matt Damon. She’ll next be seen in Guillermo del Toro’s “Crimson Peak,” set to hit theaters on October 16. Her notable work over the past year includes strong performances in Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar,” “A Most Violent Year” and “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.”
