"Hansel & Gretel" reworked as comedy-horror tale

Los Angeles, April 30: How do you follow the wicked joy of zombie Nazis attacking medical students on a ski vacation?Tommy Wirkola has an idea: "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters."

The Norwegian co-writer/director of the horror comedy "Dead Snow," a Sundance selection that IFC Films picked up for release in June, is putting together his next cockeyed picture. Wirkola pitched Will Ferrell`s production company on the idea of exploring how things played out for the poor siblings 15 years after that whole gingerbread house incident. Simply put, they`re now specialized bounty hunters looking to put down the cackling black-hat set. Ferrell and his Gary Sanchez Prods. partner Adam McKay jumped at the idea of bringing a "Shaun of the Dead"/"Evil Dead 2" comedy action vibe to the proceedings. "The idea is, they`ve grown up and they hunt witches," McKay said. "It`s a hybrid sort of old-timey feeling, yet there`s pump-action shotguns. Modern technology but in an old style. We heard it and we were just like, `That`s a freakin` franchise! You could make three of those!`" Bureau Report