Gemma Arterton has been cast as Gretel in Paramount Pictures’ upcoming action/horror/fantasy sequel to the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel.

The new movie, titled Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, is considered more of a continuation of the tale than a sequel, and sees the siblings many years later, now spending their days as bounty hunters. It also stars Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) as Hansel.

Arterton has been a steadily growing star over the past couple of years with appearances in films like Quantum of Solace, The Disappearance of Alice Creed, Clash of the Titans, and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters will be directed by Tommy Wirkola, the Norwegian talent who’s previous work includes the Nazi zombie horror flick, Dead Snow. Wirkola has promised that his Hansel and Gretel has all sorts of good fun blood and gore and will come with the badge of honor R-rating.

Is this the dark, adult fairy tale movie we’ve been wanting to see?

Wirkola hopes to begin filming by March 7 with the studio hoping to beat Timur Bekmambetov and Tim Burton’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, currently set for release in June of 2012, to theaters.

[Source: Heat Vision]