British film legend Michael Caine is reportedly planning to reunite with his Last Witch Hunter co-star Vin Diesel in a forthcoming sequel.
Caine, 92, previously appeared in the original 2015 fantasy-action movie from director Breck Eisner as Dolan 36th, a priest who assists Diesel’s warrior Kaulder in the fight to end a witch queen’s evil wrath on humanity.
Despite its poor critical reception upon release, Lionsgate has fast-tracked production on a belated sequel, with The Dark Knight actor now looking to come out of retirement to reprise his character alongside Diesel, according to Variety.
The outlet reports that Caine has yet to finalize a deal.
When approached for comment by The Independent, Caine’s representative said that the actor “is not retired.”
However, the prolific Oscar-winning actor stepped away from acting in October 2023, following the release of what was believed to be his final movie, The Great Escaper.
“I keep saying I’m going to retire. Well, I am now,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today program at the time. “I’ve figured, I’ve had a picture where I’ve played the lead and it’s got incredible reviews,” Caine said of the critically acclaimed war drama, which also posthumously starred the late Glenda Jackson.
“The only parts I’m liable to get now are 90-year-old men. Or maybe 85,” he joked. “So I thought, I might as well leave with all this. I’ve got wonderful reviews. What am I going to do to beat this?
“You don’t have leading men at 90, you’re going to have young handsome boys and girls,” he added.
Caine revealed he had considered himself retired before accepting the role in The Great Escaper, but was convinced to act again due to the quality of the script.
“The character of Bernie is an old cockney soldier, which, funnily enough, I am,” he said of his character, a World War II veteran, who, with the help of his wife, escapes from his care home to travel to Normandy for the 70th anniversary of D-Day.
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“I’d retired when I was sent the script — I’d turned it down three times,” Caine said. “But I kept falling in love with him every time I read it, and so I did it.”
Since his screen acting debut in 1956’s A Hill in Korea, Caine has appeared in at least 160 films and has won several accolades, including Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor in 1986 (Hannah and Her Sisters) and 1999 (The Cider House Rules).
