To follow up Snow White & The Huntsman, the decision was made to delve into the complex history between the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) and the evil queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron). Long before Snow White came into the picture, Ravenna manipulated her younger sister Freya (Emily Blunt), triggering the emergence of her powers as a sorceress and starting a war. Freya, in order to defend her domain, builds an army of young warriors to send into the fray, with the Huntsman set to lead the charge until his love for another warrior (Jessica Chastain) spurs a split. Frenchman Cedric Nicolas-Troyan helms his feature debut — before stepping into the driver’s seat for the Highlander reboot — with story credit going to Evan Spiliotopoulos (Hercules) and Craig Mazin (the last two Hangover sequels, a pair of movies in the Scary Movie franchise), which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that The Huntsman series is headed for long-term blockbuster status. (Opens wide Friday) (PG-13) Not screened in time for review
