The Huntsman: Winter's War

Lore & Background

The film follows Queen Freya, who after the death of her newborn daughter develops cryokinetic powers and becomes the Snow Queen, ruling the northern mountains with an army of kidnapped children trained as Huntsmen. Among them, Eric and Sara fall in love but are separated by Freya's illusions. Years later, after the events of the first film, Eric is tasked with recovering the Magic Mirror, which has been lost en route to Sanctuary. He reunites with Sara, and together they uncover Freya's deception.

Reader's Guide

The Huntsman: Winter's War received negative reviews from critics and underperformed at the box office, grossing $165 million worldwide against a $115 million budget. The Hollywood Reporter estimated the film lost the studio at least $75 million. Despite this, the film expanded the mythology of the Snow White universe, introducing new characters such as Queen Freya and Sara, and featured a post-credits scene showing a recovered Snow White. The film's home video release included an extended edition with a runtime of 120 minutes.

Did You Know?

• The film marks the directorial debut of visual effects specialist Cedric Nicolas-Troyan.
• Emily Blunt plays Queen Freya, the younger sister of Charlize Theron's Queen Ravenna.
• Kristen Stewart appears uncredited via archive footage as Snow White.
• The film's score was composed by James Newton Howard, who also scored Snow White & the Huntsman.