Nearly a month after Charlize Theron confirmed the development of The Old Guard 2, it looks like the project is indeed moving forward with Deadline bringing word that Netflix and Skydance have enlisted Yelling to the Sky filmmaker Victoria Mahoney to direct the project. She is officially taking over from Gina Prince-Bythewood, who, despite previously expressing her intent to direct the sequel, ultimately opted not to return as the director due to other projects she’s currently developing. However, Prince-Blythewood is expected to still have some involvement in the project by staying on as a producer.
“I love The Old Guard and the story and characters I was honored to put into the world. It was exciting to disrupt the genre,” Prince-Bythewood said in a statement. “I have decided not to direct the sequel, but will stay on as a producer. I leave our franchise in good hands as my girl Vic Mahoney takes on this next chapter.”
“Genuinely blown backwards by the collective levels of talent, skill and savvy that went into carving The Old Guard,” Mahoney said. “I must’ve watched it over a hundred times, and as such, cannot communicate the true measure of my excitement–being invited on The Old Guard journey alongside ferocious badasses. Ever eager to continue pushing the genre for action-loving audiences. Warmly tipping my hat to the world Gina, Charlize, Rucka, Fernández, Skydance, Netflix, Marc Evans Productions, Denver & Delilah Films and the entire Team daringly put forward.”
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In addition to Theron’s return as Andromache of Scythia/Andy, it has also been confirmed that the rest of the main cast including KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Veronica Ngo, and Chiwetel Ejiofor have already finalized negotiations to reprise their respective roles as Nile, Booker, Joe, Nicky, Quynh, and Copley.
Based on Greg Rucka and artist Leandro Fernandez’s comic book of the same name, The Old Guard tells of a small group of immortal soldiers, led by a woman named Andromache of Scythia or Andy, who have been covertly working as mercenaries through the ages.
Pick up a copy of the comic book series here!
The Old Guard 2 will once again be written and executive produced by Rucka, who made his feature writing debut with the first film. It’s still unclear if the sequel will be adapting Rucka and Fernandez’s second volume of the comics titled Forced Multiplied, which was just published nearly a year ago.
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The sequel to The Old Guard will be produced by original director Gina Prince-Bythewood, Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger along with Marc Evans & Denver and Delilah’s Charlize Theron, Beth Kono, and A.J. Dix.
Since its debut, the film garnered positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, praising its action sequences, LGBTQ+ representation within the superhero genre, and Theron’s leading performance. During its debut week, it also managed to break one of Netflix’s streaming records by earning the sixth spot on Netflix’s top 10 most popular films.
