Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters — Pic earns a sequel on $50M Domestic, $151 Foreign Total

Well, proving that budgets count, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, which managed only $50M domestically but has earned $151M in foreign markets ($201M total vs $273M Total for John Carter).  Why? Well, it only cost $50M to make, and it offered some pretty decent production value. Lower the bar a little and a sequel becomes possible on John Carterish numbers.

Here’s a good article about it from Collider’s Adam Chitwood

Paramount Moving Forward with HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS Sequel

Paramount Pictures is now officially developing a sequel to this past January’s R-rated genre pic Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.  You’d be forgiven for being a bit surprised at the news, as the film was a flop domestically with a total gross of just $54.6 million.  However, overseas the film has now taken in over $150 million.  Against a purported budget of $50 million, the pic’s worldwide gross of $205 million is apparently enough to justify moving forward with the follow-up, as Deadline reports that a sequel is now officially in development.  Hit the jump for more.

As we’ve seen time and time again, international box office is where studios bank on making the majority of their money.  Summer tentpoles are no longer tailored to American audiences, but are developed with global appeal in mind.  Sometimes studios even add extra footage into a film overseas to make it more desirable, like with the comedy 21 and Over and last year’s Looper.  International audiences apparently sparked to the bloody, action-centered twist on the classic fairy tale in Witch Hunters, and that $150 million overseas gross is certainly impressive.