Hitman's Bodyguard 3 News & Updates: Everything We Know
Charlotte Adams The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard ends with a comedic twist, so will Lionsgate release The Hitman's Bodyguard 3? Here's what we know so far.
The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard ends with a comedic twist, so will Lionsgate release The Hitman's Bodyguard 3? Directed by Patrick Hughes, the 2021 sequel follows Ryan Reynolds' Michael Bryce as he attempts to re-gain his AAA license. The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard doesn't conclude with a cryptic cliffhanger but instead creates more conflict between Michael and Samuel L. Jackson's hitman character, Darius Kincaid.
In The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, Michael struggles with depression four years after the events of the original film. After being tracked down by Darius' wife, Sonia (Salma Hayek), Reynold's character attempts to save his BFF but can't use any type of weapons. The crew later teams up with Interpol agent Bobby O'Neill (Frank Grillo) and tries to prevent a Greek mobster named Aristotle Papadopoulos (Antonio Banderas) from unleashing a deadly virus across Europe. The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard co-stars Morgan Freeman and Richard E. Grant.
The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard includes some big comedic reveals in the second half, as well as a post-credits sequence, and explores the psychology of Reynolds' protagonist. Michael suffers from feelings of inadequacy, due to his father's AAA success, and slowly becomes closer with Sonia and Darius, who are hoping to have a baby. The final sequence complicates the trio's relationship, thanks to some trickery by Hayek's character.
Will The Hitman's Bodyguard 3 Happen?
The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard received mostly negative reviews from critics before the June 2021 release, which suggests that maybe a third installment won't happen. However, the first movie earned nearly $200 million at the box office, and the sequel will presumably make a similar amount given the popcorn entertainment value. Hayek, who described her role as "liberating", has a much bigger part to play in The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, with standout comedic moments, and audiences will be looking to return to movie theaters throughout the summer. Even if The Hitman's Bodyguard 3 isn't greenlit in 2021, the film could possibly be made in the future, even if the Tomatometer score over at Rotten Tomatoes doesn't rise above 40 or 50 percent.
The Hitman's Bodyguard 3 Story
Based on the final reveal in The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, The Hitman's Bodyguard 3 will explore the aftermath of Sonia and Darius becoming Michael's adoptive parents. The sequel reveals that Michael shot Darius in the testicles while failing to prevent a hit on Takashi Kurosawa (as shown in the original 2017 movie), which resulted in Jackson's character being unable to father a child. Because Sonia so desperately wants to be a mother, and also wants to prove that she can be a responsible parent, she tricks Michael into believing that he signed papers to get his license back. The Hitman's Bodyguard 3 will presumably take place once again in Europe, or the filmmakers could move the storyline to Hayek's native Mexico.
The Hitman's Bodyguard 3 Cast
Reynolds, Hayek, and Jackson will likely reprise their roles in The Hitman's Bodyguard 3. Freeman and Banderas probably won't return, evidenced by the climactic explosion in the sequel. Expect a new villain to be cast for The Hitman's Bodyguard 3, though any clues as to who that might be are sparse for now.
The Hitman's Bodyguard 3 Release Date
The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard began filming approximately 19 months after the original film's release. If producers keep a similar schedule, the third franchise installment will be shot sometime in 2023. Expect The Hitman's Bodyguard 3 to premiere during the summer of 2024, if it gets made.
