Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron’s “Huntsman” finds new helmer

PanARMENIAN.Net - After the departure of director Frank Darabont last week, Universal has hired Cedric Nicolas-Troyan to direct The Huntsman, The Hollywood Reporter reveals.

Nicolas-Troyan's name may not be well known to the general public, but he worked on Snow White and The Huntsman as the second unit director and visual effects supervisor, and he was nominated for an Oscar for the visual effects on the 2012 film. He was also the second unit director on Disney's Maleficent and has a background in visual effects.

Former Walking Dead showrunner Darabont left the project last week over creative differences, but sources say that Universal plans to move forward without delay on the project. It is slated for an April 22, 2016, release.

Chris 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 is in talks for a role in the new film.

Joe Roth is producing, while Palak Patel will executive produce. Darabont wrote the current draft of the screenplay, with earlier drafts by Craig Mazin and Evan Spiliotopoulos.

Nicolas-Troyan has been attached to direct a few projects over the years, including Summit’s Highlander reboot and Universal’s Bethlehem (also with Roth attached as a producer).

Snow White and the Huntsman, which opened in 2012, earned $400 million worldwide.