If you go down to the woods today, you’re in for a big surprise… because instead of teddy bears having a picnic, nasty witches have set up home in the depths of the dark forests, waiting to steal innocent youngsters.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, written and directed by Tommy Wirkola, is inspired by the Brothers Grimm fairytale – but with a new twist in the tale.

Following their escape from a cannibalistic witch when they were little, 15 years later brother and sister Hansel and Gretel (Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton) have conquered their fears to become witch killers.

They’re fierce, formidably-skilled bounty hunters with a taste for blood and murder, and hell-bent on retribution.

“I love the original fairytale and this starts there, then makes a real departure,” says former Bond girl Arterton. The 27-year-old, who graduated from RADA in 2007, is a self-confessed girly girl who admits she isn’t a “tough chick”, so she enjoyed the opportunity to play a feisty female.

“It was a real relief to play that kind of part – usually you still have to have a romantic connection with one of the characters, but in this one I don’t and it’s great,” she says.

Trained singer Arterton, who also indulges her passion for music in Song For Marion alongside Vanessa Redgrave and Terence Stamp, next stars in Neil Jordan’s vampire drama Byzantium, where she plays a blood-sucking mother, with The Lovely Bones’ Saoirse Ronan playing her daughter.

“It’s just the most wonderful character.

“She’s multi-faceted, ferocious and a merciless killer, but she’s also a maternal, loving, protective mother and I just adore playing her,” says Arterton.

The film was written by Moira Buffini, who also penned 2010’s Tamara Drewe in which Arterton starred. “This is her first original screenplay and it’s just sublime.

“I can’t thank her enough for writing such a great opportunity for both Saoirse and I. We are the leads and not many films allow both of the leads to be female, so it’s a real female empowerment movie,” says the actress.

With forthcoming roles in thriller Runner, Runner with Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake, and a part in the Jeff Buckley biopic Mystery White Boy and comedy thriller The Wright Girls, as well as theatre and TV work, what else would she want to do?

“I like to keep things as surprises. I’m very open to what the future holds,” she says.

And she has no complaints about her Bond girl tag.

* Song For Marion is out now. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters opens in cinemas on Wednesday, February 27

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