A new trailer for upcoming action-comedy sequelHitman’s Wife’s Bodyguardthrows us back into a world of explosive shoot-outs and adrenaline-fueled car chases as mismatched duo Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson trade barbs and fight to survive. As the title and new poster suggest, the sequel sees Salma Hayek’s Sonia Kincaid given a much bigger role than the previous installment, joining the action-packed fray and turning the bantering duo into a trio.
Picking up four years after the events of the original movie, bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) is on a company mandated sabbatical when Sonia Kincaid, the wife ofhitman Darius Kincaidwhom Bryce shares an uneasy friendship with, rescues him from an assassination attempt to rescue Darius. Still unlicensed and under scrutiny, as well as now being on sabbatical, Bryce is not allowed to use firearms or lethal weapons of any kind and must use his wits and intelligence to save Darius and save the day.
As Bryce is driven over the edge by his two most dangerous protectees, the trio get in over their heads in a global plot and soon find that they are all that stand between Europe and a vengeful and powerful madman. Once again starring Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson as Michael Bryce and Darius Kincaid respectively, and withSalma Hayekreprising the role of Sonia,Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguardfinds several familiar faces jump aboard including Frank Grillo (The Purge: Anarchy), Morgan Freeman (The Dark Knight), Richard E. Grant (Logan), Tom Hopper (The Umbrella Academy), Rebecca Front (The Thick of It), Gabriella Wright (The TransporterRefueled), Alice McMillan (Outlander), Kristofer Kamiyasu (Good Omens), and Blake Ritson (Krypton), and Antonio Banderas (The Mask of Zorro) as the villain, a powerful mobster who hunts down Sonia, Darius and Bryce.
Released in 2017, the firstThe Hitman’s Bodyguardwas not particularly well-received by critics, but thankfully it did play well with audiences, ultimately raking in a very healthy $180.6 million against a production budget of $30 million. The positive response from audiences was in large part thanks to the natural chemistry and likeability of its central stars Ryan Reynolds andSamuel L. Jackson, each of whom is more than witty and talented enough to keep the movie afloat between action set pieces. While the upcoming sequel looks like more of the same, the addition of Salma Hayek to the follow-up,Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, is likely to give the script a little more to play with and should breathe some freshness into the duo’s repartee.
Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguardsees Patrick Hughes return to the director’s chair, working from a script written by Tom O’Connor and Brandon and Phillip Murphy.Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguardwas originally scheduled for release back in August 2020 but was delayed due to the ongoing global situation. The title was initially pushed back an entire year, but after a recent release date shift, audiences will now get to seeHitman’s Wife’s Bodyguarda little earlier than expected, with the movie now scheduled to be released in the United States on July 31, 2025, by Lionsgate.
