Sometimes Hollywood decisions make sense. And then there’s this. Lionsgate has put a sequel to The Last Witch Hunter into development, with Vin Diesel set to return as Kaulder, the immortal witch hunter audiences mostly forgot about since 2015. Diesel’s One Race Films is producing, and Michael Caine is attached to reprise his role as Dolan. The studio is reportedly pushing for a fast-track to production.

If you don’t remember The Last Witch Hunter, you’re not alone. The first film — a mishmash of witches, swords, and Diesel’s trademark gravelly intensity — was panned by critics and barely broke even with a $130 million worldwide gross against a reported $90 million budget. It was widely considered a one-and-done misfire… until it quietly found new life on streaming, where it now ranks among Netflix’s five most-viewed films. There’s no accounting for taste, huh?

That digital afterlife, combined with Lionsgate’s desire to grow IP with fantasy spectacle potential, seems to be fueling this unlikely resurrection. As Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group, put it:

“The Last Witch Hunter has grown since its theatrical release into a global fan favorite… That enduring enthusiasm made clear there is an appetite 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.”

It’s an optimistic statement, but it doesn’t change the reality: this is a sequel to a critically reviled movie that barely turned a profit, one that most people likely remember only as a curious footnote in Diesel’s filmography. Whether The Last Witch Hunter 2 will prove that audiences were secretly hungering for more Kaulder all along, or whether this is just another strange roll of the Hollywood dice, remains to be seen.

When Was Vin Diesel’s Last Non-‘Fast & Furious’ Role?

It’s been five years since the big fella played a role in a live-action film that wasn’t the head of the Fast Fambly or didn’t require him to be a tree. 2020 brought on the release of Bloodshot, the superhero sci-fi film starring Diesel and Eiza González opposite Guy Pearce. The film was — wait for it — panned by critics but moderately enjoyed by audiences, though it came out at an unfortunate time. It was released on March 13, 2020, around the time the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This meant it ended up grossing only $39 million at the box office against a $45 million budget.

The Last Witch Hunter 2 has no release date yet.

via Collider