'Hansel & Gretel' actress Gemma Arterton talks her new role

Actress Gemma Arterton has taken the passenger seat with her male co-stars in many of her films, playing a Bond Girl, a Persian princess, and a Greek goddess. However, Paramount's Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters places Arterton on level-playing field, portraying a sarcastic and armed heroine.

The L.A. Times interviewed the actress about her new role. "She's not the damsel in distress, not the girlfriend," Arterton told the publication. "She's a stand-alone character in her own right, very strong, very independent. That kind of role doesn't come up very often, not having to be kissing anybody. It's liberating."

The Miami Herald reported Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters takes the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale and turns it upside down. The newspaper details, "The orphaned duo are bounty hunters who track nasty witches who have been snatching up children to munch."

This role for Arterton has certainly been a journey. Tommy Wirkola, the writer-director of the film, tells the L.A. Times , "Gemma [in a previous film] was so strong at times, but she had this vulnerability that shows through. I thought that was important for Gretel."

Arterton feels strongly about the movie and is excited for viewers to see it, saying, "I think it's a beautiful film, boundary-pushing and feminist. It's the type of film that I would make myself."

The film will be released nationwide January 25.