Vin Diesel has built a career on high-octane blockbusters, but not every project he touches turns to gold. One of his more curious detours, a fantasy adventure that tried to launch a new franchise, is about to vanish from Netflix. If you've been meaning to see The Last Witch Hunter, you have until October 1 to stream it before it departs the platform.
The 2015 film was a passion project for Diesel, who has long been open about his love for tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. He plays an immortal witch hunter who, after centuries of battling dark forces, must protect the world from an ancient evil. The cast also includes Elijah Wood and Rose Leslie, with Michael Caine in a supporting role. It was directed by Breck Eisner, whose earlier resume includes the notorious box-office bomb Sahara and the well-received zombie thriller The Crazies.
Despite a reported budget of $90 million, The Last Witch Hunter grossed just under $150 million worldwide. Critics were not kind: it holds a paltry 17% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus calling it "grim, plodding, and an overall ill fit for Vin Diesel's particular charms." Audiences were equally unimpressed, and plans for a sequel were quickly shelved.
Diesel's attempt to build a new franchise was part of a pattern in the 2010s. He tried to revive his Chronicles of Riddick series with 2013's Riddick, which earned nearly $100 million globally, and later starred in Bloodshot, whose theatrical run was cut short by the pandemic. Neither managed to spark a lasting series, though Diesel is set to return to the Riddick universe with Riddick: Furya.
In the years since, the fantasy-action genre has seen bigger successes, including Netflix's The Witcher and Paramount's Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. But neither of those features Diesel in a magic Viking wig, which is perhaps for the best.
As The Last Witch Hunter prepares to leave Netflix, Diesel is focusing on the long-delayed final installment of the Fast & Furious saga, which promises to be a fitting send-off for his most iconic character. For those curious about his foray into sorcery, now is the time to catch it before it disappears.
If you're in the mood for more action-fantasy, check out our list of the best action movies of the past decade. And if you're looking for other titles leaving Netflix soon, you might want to catch Bruce Willis and Gary Oldman's The Fifth Element before it goes, or Percy Jackson's Sea of Monsters as it sets sail from the service.
