“The Hunstman: Winter’s War,” the directorial debut of visual-effects wizard Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, is the epic action adventure prequel/sequel to “Snow White and the Huntsman” all wrapped up into one film. When Freya (Emily Blunt) is betrayed by her sister the evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron), she retreats to a kingdom far away to raise an army of Huntsmen, as her protectors. As the queens go to war, it's up to the Huntsmen to help Freya vanquish her sister, or suffer the consequences of her ruling for eternity. It’s hard to imagine a Snow White story, without Snow White, and in this spin-off of the fairy tale, the focus is in the origin story of the Huntsmen, and the sisters relationship.

Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron return to their roles, joined by Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain. Rounding up the ensemble cast is Nick Frost, who reprises the role of the dwarf Nion, and Sam Chaflin, returns as Prince Williams. They are joined by Rob Brydon, as Gryff; Sheridan Smith, as Mrs. Brown; and Alexandra Roach, as Doreena.

In a recent press conference, the cast talked about coming back to explore their characters more and what attracted them to this story. “I had a great time on the first one, but it was a darker in tone film, and when we were shooting that we were talking about the potential of doing a sequel or a spin off or whatever, and this came together first, and I liked the fact that there was an opportunity to have it be much lighter in tone, and have a greater sense of humor to the characters, and still have that epic adventure, but have it more fun,” Hemsworth said.

“I had a blast on the first one. I had a really good time working with Chris [Hemsworth], and I think I was in shock when I got the call because I die in the first one, spoiler alert [laughs],” said Theron. She added, “I was really flattered that they wanted to bring me back. Then, I saw the script and you’re always wondering what else is there to explore. I realized I was in a very fortunate position because of the character Freya. Two things I never thought Ravenna would ever do was love something and care for something, so that was a new thing for me to explore through this character and to get to do it with a powerhouse like Ms. Blunt.”

Meanwhile, Blunt was excited to be part of this group. “It was a big appeal for me to work with all the actors. I definitely was wanting to do a Queen-off with Charlize Theron, which was so awesome and fun. And I don’t think I’d ever played a villain in that heightened reality and I knew that would be a delicious thing to play so that was a big part of it too,” she said. Chastain said that sharing the set with “these people” was a lot of fun and it’s the “most laughing I think I’ve ever had on a set.”

This female-driven film has plenty of kick-ass action moments when the ladies showed off their fighting skills. Blunt is quick to say, “Oh God, leave that to Jessica [Chastain], because Charlize [Theron] and I spent our time hobbling around in high heels going “my feet hurt.” That was the extent of our actions.” Chastain trained in New York, and later spent three-weeks in London working with the stunt team before they started shooting. “The last week, I started training in the shoes that I wear, which have lifts in them, about four and a half inches, so they look like flats but inside its a heel, and that was shocking,” she said.

Colleen Atwood, three-time Oscar winner, headed the costume design, which was a major part of the stunning visuals. Atwood delivered highly creative costumes with beautiful construction. Combining designs that are modern and period, her aesthetic is unmatched. For Theron her costume played a key role with her body language during the Queen-off, “the costume really changed my posture. There is something about a corset that makes you sit up straight.”

And we can’t leave out the most popular characters, the dwarfs. Bringing great comedic timing and light heartedness to the story, I’m sure they’ll be your favorites characters as well. “The Hunstman: Winter’s War” a story of forbidden love, that’s emotionally driven, is packed with action scenes between a fantasy world and a real one, but don't forget that this is a fairy tale after all, and in the end, loves conquers everything.

“The Hunstman: Winter’s War” opens nationwide April 22, 2016.