Ryan Reynolds’ reunion with Samuel L. Jackson has been pushed back, as Hitman’s Bodyguard 2 release date is delayed to 2021. The 2017 action-comedy The Hitman’s Bodyguard saw Reynolds play down and out bodyguard Michael Bryce, who looks to redeem himself by protecting a Hitman named Darius Kincaid (Jackson). But the two have a history of problems, making the task of keeping Darius alive even harder. Following the classic ‘80s buddy-cop formula, the film did not receive overwhelming reviews from critics, but still managed to rake in over $180 million worldwide at the box office. Due to the success of Reynolds and Jackson’s pairing, a sequel was greenlit.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard 2 will bring back a large portion of the original team, with Jackson and Reynolds returning to their roles, Salma Hayek reprising her role as Sonia, Darius Kincaid’s wife, and Patrick Hughes is once again at the helm as the director. The story is said to be set in Europe, with Bryce once again involved in Darius and his wife’s mess. The Hitman’s Bodyguard 2 was set to release in August 2020. However, the industry has changed a great deal since that announcement. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, movie theaters are closed, productions have stopped, and studios have been changing release dates almost every other day. Now Hitman’s Bodyguard 2 joins the list of delays.
Lionsgate released a photo on their Twitter page to announce their various upcoming release date changes. Reynolds’ Hitman’s Bodyguard 2 has now moved from August 28, 2020, to August 20, 2021, essentially pushing back an entire year from its originally scheduled release. The move is a similar pattern to the other Lionsgate projects that are now also moving back a year.
Due to the current circumstances and unpredictable nature of the film industry (and the world in general) this news will not come as a surprise. Reynolds has already seen his film Free Guy move to December, while Jackson’s Spiral is also a part of Lionsgate’s year delays. Interestingly, Hitman’s Bodyguard 2’s delay will see the action-comedy avoid releasing in the same month as Wonder Woman 1984. Instead, it will end up joining the month James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is set to release. However, considering Gunn’s DC film is set for August 6, that should be enough breathing room for Reynolds and Jackson’s sequel to attract their audience.
Although Hitman’s Bodyguard 2 is not as big as other films that have been delayed, fans of the first one were likely looking forward to what director Hughes had in store this time around. In addition to the returning cast members, the sequel has added the likes of Morgan Freeman, Frank Grillo, and Antonio Banderas as the villain. So fans of the film will almost certainly be interested to see what the talented group of actors will bring to Hitman’s Bodyguard 2 in 2021.
Source: Screenrant, by HUMZA HUSSAIN