Ryan Reynolds Planning Another Sequel To One Of His Biggest Franchises
Ryan Reynolds is going to keep making more of what audiences want to see.
This article is more than 2 years old
The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is the just-released sequel to the surprise 2017 hit The Hitman’s Bodyguard. While it is way too soon to see what kind of impact it will have at the box office, rumors have already started that a third movie is in the planning stages for Ryan Reynolds.
The sequel, which hits movie theaters on June 16, 2021, already has three things going for it. Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, and “crazy” (according to director Patrick Hughes) Salma Hayek. Three beloved stars who crank things up more than a few notches in the wild, action-adventure sequel. Hughes, as well as the movie stars, thinks there is more to be had.
Salma Hayek was speaking to Comicbook.com when she was asked about a potential third film in the series. As the first film was mainly about Ryan Reynold’s bodyguard and Sam Jackson’s hitman, the second film adds Hayek into the title, making her a large part of the film. A third film, if it were to happen, would potentially add a fourth to the title. “I hope so. If it happens, I know they’re adding one more person,” says Hayek.
Hughes, who also directed the first film, has admitted that he has a real good idea who would join a possible third film but “I can’t say that because it will reveal the plot.” It sounds like a third film is much further along than a simple query.
It may sound ludicrous that a movie led by Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, and tossing in Salma Hayek, would be a surprise hit, but that’s exactly what The Hitman’s Bodyguard was for the trio. The film, directed by Patrick Hughes, was made for $30 million and brought in a worldwide total of almost $177 million.
Ryan Reynolds, who will also be seen in the upcoming and long-delayed film Free Guy, knows a thing or two about franchises and sequels, as do both Jackson and Hayek. For Reynolds, the obvious is Deadpool, which the popular actor has portrayed three times, to include the ill-conceived first appearance as the Merc with a Mouth in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. He’s gone on to truly portray the foul-mouthed superhero in Deadpool, its sequel Deadpool 2, and is lined up for the fourth time in Deadpool 3.
Samuel L. has himself been in a number of sequels, mostly wearing an eyepatch in the Avengers franchise as Nick Fury but he’s also reprised roles in the Unbreakable franchise as well as Shaft.
Salma Hayek has the least time reprising a previous role, having been seen in Robert Rodriguez’s Desperado and the sequel Once Upon A Time in Mexico. She was also seen in Adam Sandler’s Grown Ups and its sequel Grown Ups 2.
In The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, the movie brings back Ryan Reynolds as Michael Bryce, who suffers from the events of the first movie and is on hiatus, and Sam Jackson as hitman Darius Kincaid, who once again needs Bryce’s help to protect his crazy wife Sonia (Salma Hayek). According to Hughes, he and Reynolds knew what they wanted to do with the second story but upon reading the script for the first time, it was missing one key ingredient: comedy.
“The original script was more like a straight action film and then when I met with Ryan, I was like, ‘Dude, this has gotta be a comedy,’ and he was like, ‘Yeah, I know, I agree.’ So I went off and did development on that script and with number two, we are in that sweet spot,” explained Hughes to Comicbook.com.
The director and Ryan Reynolds also agreed that not just the comedy, but the action also had to be turned up a notch from the first film. “We know what it is. I felt like I wanted to turn the dials on that up a notch and it’s just two rules: one is that Ryan has to suffer and the second is that we have to subvert every single moment of the film and throw a million handbrakes into the storyline and the movie. It’s a lot of fun on that aspect and I think the stunts are bigger and the action is bigger and the brash, obnoxious humor is bigger.”
Apparently, they have succeeded in their goals. Darius and Sonia force Michael (Ryan Reynolds) into joining them in a global plot that puts the trio right in the middle of Europe and complete chaos. Joining in the fun are Antonio Banderas (reuniting with Hayek) and Morgan Freeman.
How can you not love this cast and want to see more? Ryan Reynolds, Sam Jackson, Salma Hayek, and Patrick Hughes are counting on it as they look to move forward with a third film in the franchise.
If you get a chance to see The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, give us your thoughts. Is it worthy of a third?
