The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard: All About The Sequel

When mentioned individually, the names Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson always seem to raise hope and a smile.

By Rick Gonzales

This article is more than 2 years old

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard

When mentioned individually, the names Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson always seem to raise hope and a smile. The two have given fans countless hours of entertainment. For Reynolds it’s been in such movies as Just Friends, The Proposal, Deadpool, and Deadpool 2. Jackson has been in such classic’s as Pulp Fiction, Snakes on a Plane, many Avengers movies, and his classic, award-winning football short, The Comeback. So, what happens when you pair the two? You get a movie so good it demanded a sequel called The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.

THE HITMAN’S BODYGUARD

Sam Jackson

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard was spawned by the 2017 action comedy, The Hitman’s Bodyguard. It was that movie which put Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson on the screen together for the first time.

While the story may not have hit on all cylinders, the pairing did. The movie told the story of Ryan Reynolds’ Michael Bryce, who was once a triple-A protection agent but lost that standing when the delivery of a Japanese client went south. Two years later Bryce finds himself as a second-class bodyguard for hire, though he sees himself still as top notch, shown by the way he handles his business.

Enter Darius Kincaid (Samuel L.) an international assassin-for-hire. Kincaid, it seems, is the only person with balls to testify against a Belarusian dictator. He also is the only one with enough evidence to put the dictator away for good. Bryce jumps at the chance to “escort” Kincaid to the Netherlands where the trial is to take place. The two immediately do not get along (surprising) making Bryce’s job that more difficult when more assassins are sent out to eliminate Kincaid.

Part way through the movie we are introduced to Salma Hayek’s character, Sonia Kincaid, who is the wife of Samuel L.’s Darius. Hayek definitely holds her own with the duo and the movie sets up nicely for a sequel. Which brings us to The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.

MAKING THE HITMAN’S WIFE’S BODYGUARD

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard

Returning behind the camera of The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard are director Patrick Hughes (Red Hill, The Expendables 3) and screenwriter Tom O’Connor (Fire with Fire, The Courier).

The original was made for $30 million but expect The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard to cost a bit more. The first film, though, also brought in a world-wide box office of over $180 million, received decent reviews, so an increased budget and expected box office make this a sequel the film’s producers are looking forward to.

THE CAST

Ryan Reynolds

Obviously the big three will be back in action for The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. Ryan Reynolds, Sam Jackson, and Salma Hayek return to the characters that made the first film a fun watch.

Along with those three, the only other actor from the first movie to return will be Richard E. Grant (Downton Abbey, Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker). In the first film, Grant played a drug addicted corporate executive who was also a client of Reynold’s Bryce.

The first new name to pop up as joining the trio in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is Frank Grillo. His extensive resume includes The Purge: Anarchy, The Purge: Election Year, Zero Dark Thirty, End of Watch, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Civil War, and Avengers: Endgame.

Joining Grillo is Antonio Banderas, reuniting with Hayek. The pair were previously seen in Robert Rodriguez’s Desperado and his follow-up Once Upon A Time in Mexico. Tom Hopper (Billy Bones in Black Sails) is also slated to join the film

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard will also contain a Morgan Freeman sighting. There is no word who he will play in the movie, but the world needs at least one scene with Freeman and Jackson together.

THE HITMAN’S WIFE’S BODYGUARD’S STORY

Salma Hayek

One of the cool things about movies of this caliber are the locations they find themselves in. For the first movie, fans were treated to the sights and sounds of London, Amsterdam and Sofia, which is the largest city and capital of Bulgaria. This time around, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard aims to expand.

Fans will see a return to both Bulgaria and the United Kingdom, but they will also be treated to Italy, Croatia, and Slovenia.

The name says it all. The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is about what it says its about. Rumor has it though, that Kincaid’s wife is in trouble and he enlists Bryce to help him get his wife out of said trouble. Along the way, the pair are sure to have a disagreement or two.

Grillo is expected to play an Interpol Agent who asks the trio to join him on a mission situated along the Amalfi Coast, a mission that will help prevent a cyber attack in Europe. This latter description seems to mesh with another where the trio find themselves on the side of good (Grillo’s agent) to help battle and save Europe from a powerful and quite vengeful extremist (perhaps Banderas?) who has developed himself an extremely dangerous over-developed sense of national pride.

Chances are most of this is true. Regardless, with the original cast and its new additions, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard sounds like it’ll be a good time.

RELEASE DATE

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard

Initially The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard was set to bow on August 28, 2020, but like most things COVID and entertainment related, it has been pushed. The new date has now been set for one year later. Yes, one.

The new release is scheduled for August 20, 2021.

Obviously, fans of the original would love to see an earlier time frame right now we can just hope this one holds true.

FUTHA MUCKA

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard

We can’t end without at least giving a mention to another project Ryan Reynolds and Sam Jackson have in the works. The pair like working together so much that they are now teaming up on an animated series for the streaming service Quibi. It is called Futha Mucka and if the description holds true, this one will be…strange. It’s described, via Deadline, as: “Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds love each other. More accurately, Ryan loves Sam. When a minor mishap causes Sam to become Ryan’s primary caregiver, things get weird.” Weird for sure.