With Ramy Youssef blowing up in both the worlds of TV and movies, and long careers like Tony Shalhoub’s and Salma Hayek’s being considered iconic, Arab representation in the world of comedy has been getting better and better. So, with that in mind, it’s time to give out flowers to some of these amazing comedic actors by highlighting their best films and shows.

Ramy Youssef

Ramy Youssef is a prolific stand-up comedian and actor who was born in New York City, and grew up in New Jersey. The Egyptian-American is probably best known as the creator, writer, producer and star of one of A24’s best shows, Ramy. The series follows Youssef as the titular character, while he grapples with his faith while living between the worlds of his Muslim community and his group of millennial friends who think “life has no consequences,” as Hulu’s synopsis of the show states. 

After two seasons of Ramy, Youssef’s career really took off. Along with directing an episode of The Bear during Season 2,  he also executive produced the Netflix series Mo and voiced a character in Disney’s Wish. 

Notably, he was also part of the ensemble for the critically acclaimed Poor Things. The film from Yorgos Lanthimos, where Youssef plays the man Emma Stone’s Bella Baxter is betrothed to, ended up winning four Oscars and people fell in love with it.

Since that film, the comedian has released a new stand-up special – Ramy Youssef: More Feelings – and he joined the ranks of Saturday Night Live’s Season 49 hosts. 

Ramy Youssef truly is thriving. 

Stream Ramy on Hulu.
Buy Ramy on Amazon. 
Buy or rent Poor Things on Amazon.
Stream Poor Things on Hulu. 

Tony Shalhoub

Tony Shalhoub’s parents emigrated from Lebanon to the United States, and he grew up in Wisconsin before becoming an actor. These days we know him best as the beloved Adrian Monk – whom he played on Monk from 2002 to its finale in 2009, and  returned to play again in Peacock's 2023 movie, Mr. Monk’s Last Case. 

Over the course of his career, Shalhoub has received 12 Emmy nominations and won four times, three of those wins were for Monk and the other came from the acclaimed comedy, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

In the Amazon Prime comedy that tells the perfect story of a woman finding her independence, Shalhoub plays our protagonist Midge’s father, Abe. He is full of hilarious one-liners and sass, and it’s just further proof that Tony Shalhoub is a living comedy legend.  

Buy Monk on Amazon.
Stream Monk and Mr. Monk’s Last Case on Peacock.
Stream The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon. 

Alia Shawkat

Iraqi-American actress Alia Shawkat burst onto our screens when Arrested Development premiered in 2003. Starring alongside the iconic Arrested Development cast that included Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Tony Hale and more, she played George-Michael’s cousin and crush, Maeby Fünke in both the OG series and its revival on Netflix. 

Showing off her comedy chops again, Shawkat starred in HBO’s Search Party from 2016 to 2022 playing Dory Sief, a woman who (in Season 1) sets out to find her missing college friend. Following Season 1, a new mystery unfolds with each installment, and overall, it’s a dark, creative and off-beat comedy.

Adding to her already impressive filmography, Alia Shawkat has also voiced characters in animated series like Summer Camp Island and Big Mouth, and she’s starred in films like The To Do List and Whip It. 

Stream Arrested Development on Netflix.
Buy Arrested Development on Amazon. 
Stream Search Party on Max. 
Buy Search Party on Amazon. 

Mo Amer

Mo Amer is a well-known Palestinian-American stand-up comedian, who has started taking on more scripted opportunities. Along with starring in 27 episodes of Ramy alongside Ramy Youssef, he also created, produced and led his own Netflix series, Mo. 

During an interview with CinemaBlend, Amer explained that Mo allowed him to tell his Palestinian refugee story in a way that stand-up couldn’t, as it draws from his own life growing up in Houston, Texas. 

Along with Mo and Ramy, Amer also has a stand-up special called The Vagabond, and he starred in the films Black Adam and Sweet Dreams. Overall, this comedian is just getting started!

Stream Mo on Netflix.
Stream Ramy on Hulu. 
Buy Ramy on Amazon. 

Salma Hayek 

Mexican-Lebanese actress Salma Hayek has received lots of love for her dramatic performances in movies like Frida and Desperado. However, she’s also a comedy queen.

In 2010, she starred alongside Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock and David Spade in Grown Ups, playing the Sandman’s wife, Roxanne Chase-Feder. Along with performing alongside these comedy legends in this film and its sequel, she also brought the comedy in Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, which she led with Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson.

Overall, Hayek has proved time and time again that she can do any project, and it’s always such a treat when we get to see her comedy skills in action. 

Stream Grown Ups on Amazon.
Buy or rent Grown Ups on Amazon.
Buy or rent Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard on Amazon.

Nasim Pedrad

Nasim Pedrad, an Iranian-American actress, made a name for herself during her tenure as part of some of Saturday Night Live’s best casts. From 2009 to 2014, she starred in five seasons of the legendary sketch comedy show and it showed off her range as a brilliant comedian. 

After SNL, Pedrad went on to guest star in shows like New Girl, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Big Mouth. 

Most notable, though, is her role as the titular 14-year-old boy in the comedy she co-created, Chad. She’s made two seasons of the show so far, and she wears multiple hats in the production, serving as the co-creator, producer and writer as well as star. 

Stream Saturday Night Live on Peacock.
Buy Nasim Pedrad’s seasons of SNL on Amazon. 
Stream Chad on The Roku Channel. 
Buy Chad on YouTube.

Kathy Najimy

The Sanderson sisters will always be iconic, and so will Kathy Najimy. The Lebanese-American actress played Mary Sanderson alongside Bette Midler’s Winifred and Sarah Jessica Parker’s Sarah in Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2. To this day, it’s one of her most beloved roles and one of the best fun Halloween movies. 

Keeping the iconic roles going, Najimy also played Mary Parick alongside Whoopi Goldberg in the 1992 comedy, Sister Act, and its sequel, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. 

This comedic actress really left her mark on the ‘90s, and to this day her work is beloved as more and more people discover these legendary films. 

Stream Hocus Pocus on Disney+.
Buy or rent Hocus Pocus on Amazon.
Stream Sister Act on Disney+. 
Buy or rent Sister Act on Amazon Prime. 

Rami Malek

Now, I realize we know Rami Malek for movies and shows like Bohemian Rapsody and Mr. Robot. He tends to take on the more dramatic parts. However, have you ever seen the Egyptian-American actor’s episode of Saturday Night Live? It’s hilarious!

Season 47, Episode 3 of SNL was led by the Oscar winner, and it gave us wonderful sketches like “Rami Wants a Treat,” “Angelo” and “Bug Assembly.” 

On top of that, Malek’s first big movie was Night at the Museum, where he played Ahkmenrah, and he was incredibly charming and funny. 

Basically, what I’m saying is Malek is an actor with major range, and he should do more comedy!

Stream Rami Maleck’s episode of Saturday Night Live on Peacock.
Buy Rami Maleck’s episode of SNL on Amazon.
Stream Night at the Museum on Disney+.
Buy or rent Night at the Museum on Amazon.

Over the years we’ve been seeing more and more movies and TV shows with great Arab-American representation, and these actors are a big reason why. Along with all these projects, they have all had wonderful careers that are still thriving, and we can’t wait to see what they do next!

When it comes to shooting action scenes and stunts, film productions typically work hard to make sure everything is as safe and painless as possible... but mistakes happen sometimes. An actor may attempt to throw a stage punch, but actual contact sometimes occurs and apologies generally follow. Actor Frank Grillo can personally attest to these kinds of incidents happening, as he recently revealed that he once accidentally hit Ryan Reynolds in the face.

Grillo worked with Reynolds in the making of the 2021 film The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, and during an interrogation scene his knuckles made contact with the Deadpool star's chin – even after making assurances to Reynolds that he would do no such thing. The actor delivered the details of the incident recently as a guest on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, telling the titular host,

Continuing, Frank Grillo added that Ryan Reynolds was a good sport about the whole thing – feigning what would have been the worst possible response to the hit: "I make $29 million a movie! What are you doing!" Grillo also noted that the take where contact was made is the take that's featured in the final cut of The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard – which is for the best. If the film's star is going to accidentally take a fake punch for real, that's the shot that should be used.

It's an experience that Frank Grillo will presumably/hopefully will never want to repeat, which is for the best given that he is regularly doing action movies. In fact, he's been announced as one of the first new members of the growing DC Universe, as he will be playing Rick Flag Sr. in the upcoming series Creature Commandos. That show will be animated, but DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have said that actors who voice characters in animation will eventually play those roles in live-action, so we expect to see Grillo playing the part on the big screen at some point in the future.

If you wish to watch The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard and check out the scene where Frank Grillo accidentally hits Ryan Reynolds, the movie isn't presently available on any subscription streaming services, but it is available to digitally rent and purchase at outlets including Amazon, Google Play, Apple, and Vudu. 

You’d think by now that during the course of his decades-long career, Morgan Freeman has pretty much seen and done it all. As it turns out, however, that’s not exactly true, as the actor spoke out about his role in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, noting the movie first that the action-comedy allowed him to do opposite Ryan Reynolds.

As part of a Blu-ray feature on The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard set, a spotlight was shone on the stunts in the film, which included a boat explosion and some choice fighting scenes on a yacht that had to be mapped out well in advance. Of course, Morgan Freeman was able to try his hand at some close and personal fight sequences for the 2021 movie and he revealed in a Blu-ray interview that this was actually a first for him in the realm of movie-making. He noted a time he’d thought through this type of action in the past.

Of course, Morgan Freeman has been in some action or at least some action-y movies, so it’s not like the action side of things is totally new. He’s in the Gerard Butler-led Has Fallen franchise, not to mention some older action films like Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Unforgiven and Glory. These movies have occasionally had him handling guns, or in the case of Thieves, large scimitars.

But even within those, these types of setup scenes he’s mentioned apparently weren’t Freeman’s to film. It makes sense, as wracking my brain I certainly can’t think of another close hand-to-hand fight scene setup the actor has done with other action going on that required separate setups. The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard changed all that and gave the actor his own “saloon”-esque setup with complex close-up action alongside Ryan Reynolds while Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek's characters were also engaged in separate brawls.

That said, Morgan Freeman’s character in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard was a surprising addition to the sequel, given the role. Toward the end of the movie -- and spoilers -- there's an exceptionally fun yacht sequence in which Ryan Reynolds' character, Michael Bryce, works his way through a slew of baddies, throwing punches on the way. One of those baddies is even dispatched by a jukebox that amusingly plays "I Saw The Sign." At this point, the character is pretty worse for wear, but Bryce eventually shows up in the nick of time to save Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson); however, then Freeman's Senior fights him in close quarters, throwing some punches and behaving in a "spry" manner. Without giving the ending away, it sounds like it was a pretty fun -- albeit complex--scene to film.

It just goes to show you that you can be in the business of making movies for a helluva long time and still get to try new things. I'm not sure Morgan Freeman will be throwing a whole lot more punches in his career, but you'll definitely be catching him in a lot more projects, as the actor has four movies lined up, including Paradise Highway, which is now in post-production. In the meantime, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard is out on Blu-ray and DVD starting on August 17. You can pre-order your copy now though!

When it was announced in late March that Cate Shortland's Black Widow would be simultaneously released in theaters and on Disney+ (via Premier access), it caused quite a lot of controversy. On the fan side, there have been plenty of people upset that the first blockbuster launching Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was having its significance undercut by being available to view at home immediately; on the business side, there has been a lot of concern that the ability for people to stream the movie would take a massive bite out of its theatrical potential. Because of this, there has been a lot of anticipation wondering how the film would perform in its opening weekend – and the results are certainly eye-opening. The latest production from Marvel Studios has shattered records in its first three days, taking the box office crown from Justin Lin's F9. You can check out the full Top 10 below, and scroll down for full analysis!

When F9 made its domestic debut a couple of weeks ago, I made a note in my box office column that comparing its numbers to Black Widow would be significant for the industry, and that turns out to be very true. While the latest installment of the Fast & Furious franchise made an impressive $70 million in its opening (beating out the previous record set by John Krasinski's A Quiet Place Part II), Walt Disney Studios has officially announced that the Marvel blockbuster beat it by $10 million at the North American box office. The reason why that is particularly significant is that F9 was released as a theatrical exclusive, and didn't provide options for fans to watch at home, even for a premium price. So while industry analysts were concerned that Disney+ Premier Access would take a devastating bite out of ticket sales for the new release, it turns out there was plenty of excitement from fans desiring to see the movie in an auditorium with a big screen and with premium sound.

Of course, Black Widow's success at the box office doesn't mean that nobody had an interest in streaming it; quite the opposite, really. While online numbers don't quite match what the film was able to do on the big screen, the studio is saying that subscribers tuning in on Disney+ have accounted for an additional $60 million in earned grosses. The unfortunate catch is that doesn't provide an exact sense of the size of the audience watching. Premier Access requires Disney+ subscribers to pay an additional $29.99 to watch in-theater titles, but that's only per account – so a family or a group of friends can all watch together for that flat price.

The profits for the Marvel movie don't stop there either. In addition to coming out in North America, Black Widow also had its debut in multiple markets abroad, and Disney has said that the movie has made $78 million in foreign ticket sales. Combined with the domestic profits, both theatrical and streaming, that brings its big number to $215 million. Taking that total at face value, that means that the Scarlett Johansson film had the third biggest global debut ever for a solo "origin" film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, behind only Ryan Coogler's Black Panther and Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's Captain Marvel.

Even without accounting for the impact of Disney+ Premier Access and the on-going impact and influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Widow had an excellent opening weekend. To put it in further context, the last Marvel Cinematic Universe film to be released before theaters shut down, Jon Watts' Spider-Man: Far From Home, made $92.6 million in its first three days, and it had nothing holding back its potential. That $12.6 million differential is not a large amount when all factors are accounted for, and it not only is a great sign for the future of movie theaters, but a massive moment in the ongoing debate between theatrical and streaming. Despite all thoughts to the contrary, co-existence may be possible.

Clearly there is a lot to celebrate with Black Widow dropping and having success, but it is normal for a massive new release to steal attention away from everything else that is currently playing, and that unfortunately is something that is illustrated very clearly in the box office chart above. F9 was the catalyst for the exact same phenomena when it first arrived in theaters at the end of June, but this week it finds itself a victim, and a hurt one at that. The blockbuster took a noticeably big dive during its second week of release, with a drop off of 67 percent from weekend-to-weekend, and while that could in part be explained by a lot of competition and the distraction of the holiday, the presence of a new Marvel movie on the market has done it zero favors. The additional $10 million it has made since Friday is $12 million less than what it was able to bring in during its last Friday-to-Sunday.

With its domestic total of $141.3 million, F9 is only about $3 million away from passing the numbers put up by Rob Cohen's The Fast And The Furious back in 2001, meaning that it is still ranked eighth overall. Admittedly things look rosier globally, as the new sequel has surpassed Justin Lin's Fast & Furious from 2009 to become the sixth highest grosser in the franchise with a total of 541.8 million.

Tom McGrath's The Boss Baby: Family Business and Everardo Gout's The Forever Purge, which provided F9 with its biggest competition last weekend (despite being released by the same studio) performed adequately in their respective second weekends. Both films dropped about 50 percent, and while neither title is developing as a runaway success, they are doing solid business. The former – which was made for a reported $82 million, according to Variety – still has some distance to travel before it becomes profitable on paper, but it also needs to be noted that it is concurrently available streaming on Peacock, and we don't know how it is performing on that service.

As for the latest big screen effort from The Purge franchise, Blumhouse Productions famously keeps budgets limited, and this one is no exception. Adding in numbers from abroad, the movie has made $34.8 million, which is nearly double its reported $18 million price tag (which doesn't include publicity and marketing). It does not appear that it will be able to the series' noteworthy trend of having each title outperform its predecessor at the box office, but it's doing just fine all things considered.

On the milestone beat, the aforementioned A Quiet Place Part II has officially become the first movie to make over $150 million on the big screen domestically. Sadly it doesn't look like it's going to be able to out-gross its predecessor in the same market, as John Krasinski's A Quiet Place made $188 million when it played theatrically in 2018, but it certainly stands tall as one of 2021's biggest blockbusters thus far.

Looking ahead, this upcoming weekend should be an interesting one for the box office, as we will be getting both the latest theatrical/HBO Max hybrid drop from Warner Bros. in the form of Malcolm D. Lee's Space Jam: A New Legacy, and also Adam Robitel's Escape Room: Tournament Of Champions – a sequel to the same director's surprise hit from the early weeks of 2019. How will they perform and stack against the titles currently available? Be sure to head back here to CinemaBlend next Sunday for my full report.

SPOILERS are ahead for The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard playing in theaters now.

The Hitman’s Bodyguard recently continued with the sequel The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, a fun action flick that saw Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek team up for a comedic shoot 'em up blockbuster alongside the likes of Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas. As the second movie in the series continues its box office run this weekend, it’s time to talk about threequel options.

There’s three main leads in the Hitman’s Bodyguard movies, it makes perfect sense for the movie series to be a trilogy, doesn’t it? If you’ve seen the latest film, you know the ending of the movie does open the door for a continuation if Lionsgate chooses to do so. What should it be? Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds once offered a great idea.

Back when the pair were promoting the first movie in 2017, the actors teased their ideas for the franchise. First, Ryan Reynolds shared his interest in seeing more Salma Hayek’s Sonia Kincaid, which we just got to see as she took the forefront in The Hitman’s Bodyguard. And here’s how Samuel L. Jackson thinks the story should continue:

Yes. Please. Salma Hayek’s character is already a highlight of the franchise as she gets in between the hitman and hitman’s bodyguard’s business. Imagine if more of her family got involved? Penélope Cruz is obviously incredible and would fit perfectly into the established cast we’ve met so far in the action series.

The bulk of the plot for the Kincaid’s in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard focused on their desire to have a child. By the end of the film, it’s Ryan Reynolds’ Michael Bryce who becomes the adopted son of Jackson and Hayek’s characters. Imagine the hilarity of Sonia either deciding to set her “son” up with her sister, or better yet Bryce getting heart eyes for her at a family gathering much to her chagrin.

We have yet to hear anything concrete about an actual sequel in the works, but The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard director Patrick Hughes did share his interest. He told ComicBook that his hopes for it to happen and teased that he knew the production would be “adding one more person” should a third film be greenlit. Hughes also said this to Coming Soon:

Commercially, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard has made $54.8 million worldwide after a month following a $11 million opening weekend at the box office. This is a bit of an upset for the franchise given the previous movie made $176.6 million globally following a $21 million opening weekend. The sequel certainly didn’t impress critics but was received a bit more warmly by movie fans. The biggest question is how the heck do you title it?

In March 2020, the box office was essentially cryogenically frozen thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. It's been slowly thawing out ever since, with things crawling back towards normal. Week to week we would see some movies hit big, but mandates and restrictions kept the market limited. This weekend, however, the industry has finally crossed a massive goal post: with the July 4th holiday being celebrated across the country, and a nice wide variety of titles to choose from available on the big screen, this was the first weekend since the start of the pandemic that all 10 films in the box office Top 10 made more than one million dollars. In celebration of this fact, we have brought back our box office chart, and you can scope it out below.

In a turn of events that should surprise exactly zero people, Justin Lin's F9 has managed to hold on to its title of being the number one movie in North America, as it managed to pull in an additional $22.9 million from ticket sales. This now brings its domestic total up to over $115 million, making it just the third film since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to make over $100 million at home (the other two being John Krasinski's A Quiet Place Part II and Adam Wingard's Godzilla vs. Kong). Adding those figures to the movie's overseas numbers, the blockbuster has now man $497.6 million, and while that's a total that is nowhere close to James Wan's Furious 7 (which brought in $1.5 billion in 2015), it's not too shabby given the broader circumstances.

It's not all great news for the franchise film, however, as while making $22.9 million was enough for F9 to earn a second box office crown, the figure represents a steep decline compared to its first week. Having made $70 million in its first Friday-to-Sunday, that $22.9 million represents a 67 percent drop, and that's pretty massive. Obviously things still aren't totally normal in the industry right now, but that is a drop eight percentage points bigger than what A Quiet Place Part II did back in May/June.

As far as F9's ranking within its own franchise goes, it should be of little surprise that the movie's box office numbers still have it towards the bottom, but it is slowly growing. Its aforementioned domestic box office earnings are not yet enough to see it eclipse John Singleton's 2 Fast 2 Furious, which made $127.2 million on the big screen back in 2003. The film should definitely surpass that sequel, moving it up to eighth place as far as North American totals go, though the blockbuster will definitely not be the biggest film in America for much longer thanks to the forthcoming arrival of Cate Shortland's Black Widow.

F9 notably had more than a few competitors working to steal attention from it during the July 4th holiday, including not only other big screen releases, but also Chris McKay's The Tomorrow War on Amazon Prime and Leigh Janiak's Fear Street Part 1: 1994 and Matt Thompson's America: The Motion Picture on Netflix. What made the Fast & Furious movie's race at the box office this weekend especially interesting, however, is that the biggest titles it was racing against came from the same studio. Tom McGrath's The Boss Baby: Family Business is a DreamWorks Animation movie, and Blumhouse Productions is the driving force being Everardo Gout's The Forever Purge, but both films, like F9, have been distributed by Universal Pictures. It's not entirely clear why the studio decided to pit three of its big summer movies against one another during the same holiday, but it is worth noting that all of them appeal to different audiences.

Unfortunately for the company, neither of the new sequels were able to put up numbers as big as their predecessors. The Boss Baby: Family Business (which was simultaneously released on Peacock) made a solid $17.3 million this weekend, but that's peanuts compared to the first installment in the animated series, which made over $50 million when it first debuted. Meanwhile, The Forever Purge marks the second less-than-stellar opening for the horror franchise, as the $12.5 million it made is even less than the $16 million that Gerard McMurray's The First Purge made in 2018. The silver lining demonstrating hope for the latest chapter in that the prequel did ultimately demonstrate some legs, and made $69.5 million before it was done playing on the big screen.

That brings us to the third new release of the weekend, which admittedly isn't the happiest news. Janicza Bravo's Zola was the talk of social media when its first trailer dropped a few months ago (appropriate given the key role that social media plays in the narrative surrounding the release), but that excited chatter has not yet translated to ticket sales. The movie was only released in 1,468 locations, which is thousands fewer than the titles at the top of the charts, but it still only averaged $834 per theater and managed to grab ninth place (stealing it away from Jon M. Chu's In The Heights, which is just about ready to exit the Top 10. It's possible that there were too many distractions during the holiday for people to acknowledge Zola's release, but the movie is riding high on strong reviews and buzz. We'll have to see what kinds of legs it demonstrates as we get deeper into the summer and check up on it to see if it still has the potential to become a sleeper hit.

As noted earlier, this upcoming weekend should be a massive one, as Marvel Studios will be releasing their first Marvel Cinematic Universe feature since Jon Watts' Spider-Man: Far From Home in summer 2019. Will it be able to eclipse the pandemic box office record set by F9 last week and make north of $70 million, or will ticket sales be hampered by its simultaneous Disney+ release? Be sure to head back to CinemaBlend on Sunday for the full breakdown.

Salma Hayek has always taken a somewhat unconventional approach to her career. The actress has taken on bold roles in films, like the upcoming Eternals and hasn’t held back when it comes to her comedic prowess or her willingness to give everything she has on screen. That enthusiasm for her craft may have extended a bit too far, though, on the set of the recent hit sequel The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. The actress slapped co-star Ryan Reynolds in the one place she was told not to slap him -- and it sounds like it’s a pretty funny story.

While she appeared as the brash and somewhat uneven Sofia Kincaid in the 2017 The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Salma Hayek took on a bigger role in the action-comedy sequel. Her character plays a much more central role to the film’s story, which sees her starring alongside Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson once again. That means she has more screen time, and more of a chance to get in on the action.

That’s exciting news for Hayek and her fans -- but it did pose a small problem during production. Salma Hayek recently revealed that while filming The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, she may have gotten a little overzealous when it came to some of her hand-to-hand scenes with Ryan Reynolds (via PopCulture.com):

Okay, so it sounds like Hayek may have done some real damage to Reynolds -- but it was more a product of getting caught up in the scene than any real intention to do harm. The end result of her enthusiasm for the role was probably worth it, too. While the movie itself has had lackluster reviews, fans have been on board for the latest installment, and Hayek has earned strong reviews for her performance in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.

Also, it doesn’t sound like her on-screen antics caused any long-lasting damage to her professional relationships with her co-stars. She gushed about Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds to PopCulture.com, insisting, “I love the guys; I love Sam and Ryan.” She even revealed that The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard’s director, Patrick Hughes, encouraged the cast to improvise many of their scenes. So really, by improvising the finer details of her action scenes, she was just doing her job, right?

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard topped the box office after it hit theaters on June 16, dethroning A Quiet Place II. Maybe the film’s success will be enough to greenlight a third chapter in the series -- and another chance for Hayek to have fun with (but hopefully not maim) her beloved co-stars.

As fans have been enjoying The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard in its current theatrical release, there’s naturally going to be a lot of talk about feelings surrounding various aspects of the film. Naturally, with a huge Ryan Reynolds sequel in theaters, subjects worth discussing will pop up, and the internet has absolutely responded to some interesting points surrounding the film. Everything from Salma Hayek to the film’s title, and even an interesting bit of trivia, is fair game; so let’s see what fans are saying about The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard Is Even More Outrageous Than The First Film

On the Venn diagram of comedy sequels and action sequels, one of the key points of overlap is going bigger and harder. The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard does just that, and fans have certainly noted that fact in their reactions. As you’ll see in our first tweet, the insanity is absolutely worth the ride in the end:

Yes, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is a movie so funny, it’s going to make you swear in disbelief when thinking about what it’s done. Amping up the comedy and throwing in some James Bond-style action is apparently the key to making fans sound like they’re improving dialogue with Samuel L. Jackson. Then again, the internet has used more colorful words on a regular basis, so that could just be the world talking. Still, it's led to this other creative use of profanity:

Bigger sometimes is better, or at the very least enough to please the fans. But there’s another upgrade that helped The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard catch people’s attention; as if putting Ryan Reynolds through the ringer wasn't enough. It's all thanks to one of the returning characters the film welcomed back into the fold, as Salma Hayek has gotten a lot of attention for her latest turn as the "Hitman's Wife" of the title.

Salma Hayek’s Upgraded Role Is Well Worth The Sequel

Even in her more supporting role in The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Salma Hayek’s Sofia Kincaid was a force of nature to behold. So naturally, when director Patrick Hughes thought of how he and his writers would want to up the ante, it was a natural decision to make Sofia a crucial part of the team. It’s a selling point that keeps on giving, as you’ll see below:

It makes for a simple logline when you think about it. “See Salma Hayek swearing her head off, in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.” That's plenty of tickets sold for a Friday night showing right there. It certainly seems to be the case for famed author John Scalzi, as he saw the benefit of that aspect. Though there was a bit of added incentive, as you'll see in the story he told about bringing his wife along for the ride:

So The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard has a harder and funnier approach to the franchise, and it also has Salma Hayek taking the world by storm. What else could this movie use to boost its profile? How about becoming a piece of Hollywood historical trivia? Yes, this movie actually accomplished something that the dream factory has been trying to do for some time by casting a pair of venerable actors in the same film for the first time.

Technically, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard Made An Interesting Bit Of History

How in the world have Morgan Freeman and Samuel L. Jackson never worked together before? It’s a question that’s now being asked quite often, as The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard has somehow corrected this error in cinema, and to great effect. Trying to wrap your head around it would inspire similar thoughts to the one you’re about to see below:

It truly is amazing how it took The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard to pair up such esteemed actors, especially when they use words like “motherfucker” so brilliantly And yes, Morgan Freeman has dabbled in Samuel L. Jackson’s preferred profanity. Which only causes people to question this occurrence even more, and leads one to believe that Freeman and Jackson should work together more often. Think about that as you read the next shocked reaction to this huge deal:

So The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard’s checklist contains bigger laughs, Salma Hayek wrecking shop and Morgan Freeman finally sharing a scene with Samuel L. Jackson. The longer this list seems to go on, the more ridiculously fun it sounds. And apparently, it wouldn’t be complete without poking some fun at the ever expanding title scheme this franchise is going for.

Any Potential Sequel To The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard Is Going To Be Impossible To Title

Going into The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, after seeing audiences react so well to The Hitman’s Bodyguard, one has to wonder where it all goes next? With an ending that leaves some interesting thematic ties to be completed, there is a question of how outrageous the title will be in a potential threequel. Leave it to the internet to come up with something wild, like this:

Considering the family dynamic that’s at work in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, and an unspecified role being kept in mind for a third film, that doesn’t seem all too far off. Though without knowing who’s on deck, there’s no limit to who Ryan Reynolds’ Michael Bryce will have to guard next. With that creative license in the air, it’s only going to grow more ridiculous:

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard truly is an inspiring experience, or at least that’s what it looks like when you check out the fan reactions. Though there are, of course, detractors who aren’t exactly sold on the sequel’s charms; plus there’s questions that both sides of the divide want answers to. Like, “Do we really buy Antonio Banderas as a Greek shipping tycoon?” Check out The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard for yourself in theaters, and don’t be afraid to ask the big questions while looking at our 2021 release schedule.

Usually the sequel machine runs on three different speeds: clockwork, moderate and prolonged development. If you’re going to propose a follow-up to a surprise hit like The Hitman’s Bodyguard, you usually want to be running in that quickest setting so you can strike while the iron is hot. But director Patrick Hughes ran a bit faster when it came to developing The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, as he was already pulling together things he wanted to see while he was in the editing bay for the Ryan Reynolds/Samuel L. Jackson sleeper success.

When it came time to sit down and speak to Patrick Hughes during the press day for The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, I was excited to dig into just what sort of bar that Hughes and his team had set for this second shot of adventure. Even in the speediest of circumstances, it feels like movies such as these don’t always come together as quickly as you’d want them to. But inspiration ran strong with Patrick Hughes in the editing room on The Hitman’s Bodyguard, which lead to this tale of early sequel development:

An idea as simple as Ryan Reynolds’ Michael Bryce needing therapy, and a special list of tortures that Patrick Hughes wanted to visit upon him, was all that The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard needed to start up. Though that was only the beginning, as any good sequel not only needs a first step into the future of its characters, it also needs a proper framing to progress those same figures in another round of growth and ammo-pumping action. Which is why Salma Hayek’s Sonia Kincaid became a prominent figure in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.

In The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Sofia was a comedic supporting presence who helped push along the road trip that Michael Bryce and her husband, Samuel L. Jackson’s Darius Kincaid, happened to be on. Another round of such mayhem couldn’t just be a repeat with those two characters, and with Salma Hayek’s comedy skills always sharpened for fun, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard found an easy way to branch out into the future. Here again is Patrick Hughes, explaining how Hayek’s Sonia was important to the sequel’s development:

All of the strategy that went into the development of The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard seems to have worked. With the sequel opening in a first place finish its first weekend, even a relatively calmer box office market in a post-pandemic market couldn’t stop this fresh hell from taking over. It may be too early to announce any plans for another day in the life of the Kincaid family, but that hasn’t stopped Patrick Hughes from hatching yet another idea that he’s naturally cagey about sharing.

We’ll just have to wait on details to the future of Michael Bryce for now. But that shouldn’t keep you from seeing The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, as it’s currently in theaters and has plenty of Ryan Reynolds tortures for you to see. That is, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Warning: spoilers for The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard are in play. If you haven’t seen the film yet, and want to remain unspoiled, then turn around and flee while you still can.

As The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard draws to a close, another action packed spectacle wraps up on the big screen. Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, and Salma Hayek find themselves at the end of a huge adventure, everyone’s learned a little more about themselves, and some pretty awesome explosions take place. Oh, and the entirety of Europe is now in their debt, as some pretty huge events were prevented during The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard’s ending.

It’s the stuff you’d expect from an off-the-rails action-comedy that takes the top spot at the box office on its opening weekend. But even with that in mind, there’s going to be a ton of spoilers as to how it all goes down. So if you want to see The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard totally unspoiled, jump out of here after this point, because we’re about to dive in deep. If you’re still here, let’s go into just what happens in Michael Bryce’s latest round of punishment.

What Happens At The End of The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard?

Sofia Kincaid (Salma Hayek) is kidnapped by former lover/current comedic Bond villain Aristotle Papadopoulos (Antonio Banderas). With a technological scheme that will plunge Europe into a new dark age, restoring Greece as the cradle of civilization, it looks like Aristotle is about to succeed in his evil quest in The HItman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. Aboard his private yacht, and hidden behind waves of security orchestrated by Michael Bryce’s surprisingly villainous stepfather (Morgan Freeman), what could possibly touch a villain like him?

Well, as one would expect, Michael (Ryan Reynolds) and Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson) aren’t too far behind. Knowing the inner workings of his stepfather’s mind, the younger Bryce helps Darius navigate those waves of security, with the two heroes making their way on to Aristotle’s floating stronghold. A huge fight scene integrating several confrontations ensues, and the result is the villains dying and the yacht exploding.

How Michael, Sonia, And Marcus Saved Europe

So how exactly do Michael Bryce and the Kincaids save Europe? Pure ass kicking is the answer, and there’s a lot of ass kicked in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. Ultimately, Sonia, Darius, and Michael all get to deliver someone their last rites, and Europe’s power grid is protected. If it wasn’t for their efforts, the story would have played out very differently.

As Aristotle Papadopoulos’ grand plan is to override Europe’s power grids, crashing the continent into darkness, he needed to be able to drill into an underwater junction box that will allow him to do so. With a special diamond tipped drill that also acts as a transmitter, all that needs to happen is for the right malicious code to be downloaded. But seeing as Michael Bryce killed his evil stepfather, and the yacht with all this equipment exploded, our Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard heroes actually saved Europe.

Sonia And Darius Kincaid Become Parents… Sort Of

Another recurring thread of The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard sees Sofia and Darius trying to start a family of their own. With their romance rekindled after The Hitman’s Bodyguard, they have been trying everything to have a baby; and I mean everything. One tactic actually works, as Sonia and Darius settle on adopting a manchild of their own, and he unwittingly signs the papers to make it all happen.

Thinking he’s going to get his precious AAA accreditation back, Michael Bryce quickly signs the papers that Sofia Kincaid presents him with. In another lesson of reading the fine print, Michael is then told that he’s been adopted by the man who caused him to lose his license, and the woman who’s been knocking him around throughout The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. And as an added traumatic bonus, Michael Bryce even gets to sail a boat... which unfortunately includes a view of his new adopted parents having sex on the boat they’re supposed to stay on for 48 hours.

Will Michael Bryce Ever Get His AAA Accreditation Back?

Throughout The Hitman’s Bodyguard movies, the huge motivation for Ryan Reynolds’ Michael Bryce has been to get his AAA accreditation back. His largest source of pride, it’s been his Achilles’ heel when getting him to agree to participate in the action. Much as one would expect, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard hasn’t awarded him that status; and it’ll probably evade him for as long as there are sequels to be made.

Franchise director Patrick Hughes has gone on the record as saying that the key to The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, and any other entry in this potentially continuing franchise, is the suffering of Michael Bryce. If he were to ever get what he wanted, it’d be game over, and everyone would have to go home. So if you’re counting on future installments to this series, you’re going to have to sacrifice even more of Michael Bryce’s dignity and sanity.

Who Could Join A Potential Sequel To The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard?

Part of the fun with a sequel to The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is the newcomers added to the cast. With Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas acting as the villains for the first two films, and Morgan Freeman being added for some extra spice as a secret baddie, you’d have to wonder if there’s anything else up this franchise’s proverbial sleeve for a third go-round. As a matter of fact, it does.

Both Salma Hayek and director Patrick Hughes have teased that, should there be a continuation after The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, there is someone that they’ve got in mind to join the cast. However that person, and the story that brings them into the fold, is currently under wraps. So we’re all just going to have to be patient and wait to see who makes life a living hell for Ryan Reynolds, should the time come for such an announcement.

Whoever steps into the world of The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard next is going to join the fresh hell that awaits Reynolds’ Michael Bryce. He will know no peace or joy until the adventure has concluded, and now with Sofia and Darius Kincaid as his adopted parents, Michael’s only going to see more of that pain coming from the homefront. If you’re looking to relive the madness, or somehow read this rundown before seeing the film for yourself, you can currently see The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard in a theater near you. Also, don’t forget to take a look at 2021’s new movie releases, to see what’s heading to the movies in the coming week.

It’s as if the selection of Britney Spears’ watershed pop hit “Baby One More Time”gave the world a sign when it was included in the trailer for The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. Though the song may be absent from the film itself, it’s still a part of its cultural identity, as well as a fitting punchline to how the Ryan Reynolds/Salma Hayek film hit #1 at the domestic box office this past weekend. But leave it to co-star Samuel L. Jackson to deliver a very on-brand message to the fans, as he donned a special t-shirt and made a very thankful statement on social media.

Through his official Instagram presence, Jackson slipped on a shirt with none other than The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard character Darius Kincaid on the front. Keeping up with his habit of sharing threads that feature many of his past roles, this round of promotion was rather special. Accompanying that impressive tee was the congratulatory caption you can read below, alongside this nifty clothing choice:

Celebrating the success of The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard while on the set of the Apple TV+ series The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray, Samuel L. Jackson had the right idea sharing a rather sharp looking Darius shirt with the world. It’s also a nice throwback to the hit that started it all, as it looks like this variant of Mr. Kincaid was designed after his appearance in The Hitman’s Bodyguard. Though now it’s going to be hard not to imagine what this franchise would look like in an animated format.

While The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard didn’t score as decisive a victory as its predecessor, considering the conditions of the theatrical market at this time, it still feels like a solid win. Of course, we’ll probably have to wait a little longer for any sort of announcement of a second sequel as, again, current events put the world in an interesting position. Also, should that day come, Samuel L. Jackson will obviously need some time to find the right shirt for the occasion.

At the moment, this number 1 status for The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is something to share with the fans who made it possible. The next couple of weeks will provide quite a bit of competition for the Lionsgate franchise, and there’s no telling where the road will end. But as long as Samuel L. Jackson and his co-stars are smiling, it feels like a good idea to enjoy that same happiness, in hopes that Michael Bryce and the Kincaids will grace the screen, at the very least, one more time.

If you haven’t enjoyed The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard just yet, a theater near you will be the key to getting in on the action. And don’t forget to browse through 2021’s movie schedule, if you’re looking to find out what other sorts of adrenaline and/or laugh fueled antics are on the way. You never know where Samuel L. Jackson will be likely to pop up next.

John Krasinski's A Quiet Place Part II has been a bulldozer at the box office since its premiere. Arriving it time for the Memorial Day holiday, the horror sequel put up some record-breaking numbers during its opening at the end of May, and then last week Jon M. Chu's In The Heights proved to be no match for it as it dominated in its second weekend. The film has provided some great signs for the return of the big screen experience, and it was the first release since the pandemic to make north of $100 million domestically – but now there has been a shift, as it no longer holds the distinction of being the "#1 Movie In America." Instead, that title now belongs to Patrick Hughes' The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard.

Initially meant to be a 2020 release, the action movie follow-up starring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, and Salma Hayek has been delivered to theaters about four years after its predecessor, and according to Variety it has pulled in $11.6 million in its first Friday-to-Sunday. That number was big enough to push it ahead of A Quiet Place Part II's ticket sales, totaling $9.4 million in its third week, and the total increases to $17 million when you factor in its mid-week premiere – but the folks at Lionsgate may not be celebrating too raucously. The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard was made with a reported $70 million budget (which is on par with the first film), and its start is just slow enough to make one question whether or not it will ultimately be considered profitable/successful (The Hitman's Bodyguard made nearly double what the first one did when it opened).

For starters, it's not a movie that is operating with top notch buzz. Similar to the original, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard has not received a glowing response from critics, as it is sporting a rough 25 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. What's more, the surveys conducted by CinemaScore resulted in a middling "B" grade. If it doesn't have much word of mouth going, it's going to have a tough time demonstrating legs past its heavily-promoted premiere.

Unfortunately, it's a movie that could very much use a dose of "oh, you actually really should see it," as there is some massive box office competition coming down the pike in the next month. In the immediate future there is the forthcoming arrival of Justin Lin's F9, which is unquestionably the biggest blockbuster to drop in over a year. It has already been annihilating overseas, having made $270.6 million to date, but there is little doubt that it will be setting post-COVID-19 records when screenings start. That will then lead to the July 4th holiday, which will see the launch of Everardo Gout's The Forever Purge, and then on the other side of that there will be Cate Shortland's Black Widow – yet another massive title that audiences have been patiently/not-so-patiently waiting to see on the big screen.

Obviously what should eventually help boost the numbers for The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard are international ticket sales – though those numbers don't seem to be available at present. For what it's worth, The Hitman's Bodyguard made $101.1 million outside North America, so there is a potential audience for the sequel.

As for the rest of the Top 10, things continue to go from bad to worse where In The Heights is concerned. There was a lot of disappointment going around last week when the film only managed to make $11.4 million in its first three days, and sadly is doesn't sound like any attempt to "save" it is making an impact. The movie saw its ticket sales drop a rough 62 percent this weekend, and it's now sitting in sixth place overall. Will Gluck's Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway has taken over third place, having made an additional $6.1 million, and it is not yet known if either Michael Chaves' The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It or Craig Gillespie's Cruella will be in the fourth, as they are running neck-and-neck.

On the milestone front, Adam Wingard's Godzilla vs. Kong hit a massive benchmark this weekend. While it didn't have quite enough juice following its initial release in late March to become the first domestic release since the start of the pandemic to make over $100 million at the box office, it has now become the second title to accomplish that feat. To date the MonsterVerse blockbuster has made over $440 million worldwide.

Looking ahead, we know (as mentioned) that F9 will be taking over the box office charts next weekend – but the big question is in regard to just how well it will perform. Will it merely topple the opening weekend numbers put up by A Quiet Place Part II, or is it possible that it could mark a return to seeing a new release put up nine figures? We're excited to find out, and will have a rundown of the numbers for you here on CinemaBlend next Sunday.

Being a movie star is usually seen as either a glamorous opportunity to play pretend or a grueling exercise in grounding any given role in harsh reality. Though looking at how much Ryan Reynolds’ Michael Bryce got kicked around in The Hitman’s Bodyguard, the Patrick Hughes-directed franchise occupies an interesting crossroads between the two. And when it came time to make The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, Hughes and his writers had a very specific list of punishments, which, when presented to Ryan Reynolds, provoked a very on-brand response.

Speaking with Patrick Hughes on behalf of The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, there was no way to avoid the fact that he really had it out for Michael Bryce. Even in the research provided for the press day, Hughes’ intent was pretty clearly spelled out: Ryan Reynolds was going through the ringer in the sequel to this surprise hit. There was no line that Patrick Hughes wouldn’t cross, which led to the following story shared during our interview:

All of that, and then some, is visited upon Ryan Reynolds in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, which feels like an insult/injury combo seeing as Michael Bryce in therapy after his traumatic experiences during The Hitman’s Bodyguard. Patrick Hughes' desire to make Bryce’s road back to AAA accreditation isn’t some sort of sadistic urge though. Quite the contrary, as while Hughes was pulling together The Hitman’s Bodyguard, he already started to put together the key ingredients that he wanted to see in a potential sequel.

Luckily enough, not too long after the 2017 movie became a surprise box office smash, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard was greenlit. Which meant that series creator Tom O’Connor, along with writers Brandon Murphy and Phillip Murphy, had the structure from which they could take the series one step further into the insanity. According to Patrick Hughes, Michael Bryce’s suffering is key to the fate of the franchise, as The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard operates on the following principle:

If you’ve been enjoying both The Hitman’s Bodyguard and The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, you pretty much enjoy Ryan Reynolds suffering for his art. While it might not be actual suffering at the hands of his director and co-stars, it definitely looks the part as you watch it all unfold across both films. The sequel in particular has a lot of fun pushing the comedic envelope, which leaves Michael Bryce with a lot more physical scars to match the ones he’s inflicted psychologically.

Digging to the root of why it’s so much fun for Patrick Hughes and his audience to watch Michael Bryce suffer, it’s probably because of the unique position his character is working from. After being disgraced during events that put him and Darius Kincaid on opposite sides of the sniper rifle, all he’s ever wanted is to regain his AAA status. Much like Job in The Bible, Ryan Reynolds’ protagonist is made to walk through all sorts of Hell in the name of reaching his endgame. It all makes even more sense when hearing Mr. Hughes’ personal thoughts on the characters in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard:

Theoretically, Michael Bryce’s journey is suffering. Were he ever to receive his AAA accreditation again, that’s game over for the character, as there’s nowhere else for him to go. So as long as people want to see antics like The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard on the big screen, Ryan Reynolds will have to keep limber and prepare for whatever slings, arrows, shovels and drugged darts head the way of his character. And if you’re interested in seeing this latest trials of Michael Bryce, you can check out The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, which is currently in theaters.

The action genre we know today owes a huge debt to the classics that came before, especially when those classics come from the James Bond franchise. A leading innovator in stunt work and thrilling chases, 007 has inspired many movies to go the extra mile when devising new ways to wow the crowd. So of course, when director Patrick Hughes was planning how to beef up the excitement in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, that old Bond magic naturally played a huge part in what crowds are now seeing unfold on the big screen.

Admittedly, as a huge James Bond fan myself, I got some massive Thunderball vibes from The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. There are tons of components that harken back to that particular Sir Sean Connery-led adventure in the 007 canon, and in my interview with Patrick Hughes on behalf of the film, I had to ask if the Bond films were a conscious influence on its production. Sure enough, from one Bond fan to another, Hughes admitted to the following inspiration:

If there was ever an era that fit the Bond aesthetic in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, it would definitely be Sir Roger Moore's. Yes, Thunderball feels like a huge influence, as it hits some of the same thematic materials from that film. Antonio Banderas’ Aristotle Papadopoulos feels like a sillier version of Emilio Largo, right down to his plot to hold Europe for ransom if his demands aren’t met. Plus, the entire final showdown takes place on the villain’s yacht, which again, is totally Thunderball.

However, the big difference is the way that The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard lands its punches feels very much in the wheelhouse of Moore’s humor-laced antics. All of the action hits hard and fast, but it’s couched in huge swaths of comedy fueled by Salma Hayek, Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds’ shenanigans on the road. Basically, if Thunderball was made with Sir Roger Moore in the lead and a heavy R-rating in mind, it would have turned out something like this particular movie.

The moment that seals the deal, though, is in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, when that wall of defense that Patrick Hughes mentioned kicks in. Just as Ryan Reynolds’ Michael Bryce and Samuel L. Jackson’s Darius Kincaid make their way onto their adversary’s yacht, a handful of henchmen rocket up from the water on hoverboards. Seeing as Thunderball’s exhilarating pre-credits sequence saw Sean Connery blasting into the sky on his own jetpack, it’s hard not to think of that moment when you see The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard engage in its own take. And just as Mr. Hughes specified, if you skip to 02:06 in the trailer below, you can see a small piece of that segment for yourself.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard occupies a crossroads of James Bond influences, and it does it rather well. Though the film isn’t squeamish about showing its characters off as hardcore killers, there’s still plenty of laughs to keep the film from crossing over into a grimdark sort of action thriller. Should there be another sequel in the world of Michael Bryce and his adventures with the Kincaids, there’ll be plenty more Bond moves to crib if Patrick Hughes needs a little more over-the-top inspiration.

You can currently see The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard in theaters, in conventional or large format release. And if that’s not enough Ryan Reynolds excitement for you, Free Guy will get the same treatment on August 13. But if you want to watch Thunderball in the name of proper comparison, then you can check that out over on Tubi, with no subscription required.

The box office certainly isn't the place that it used to be, but as the movie industry continues to shift back to something approaching normal, it is becoming a concern once again. Movie theaters are open across the country and while capacity and other restrictions are still in place in many regions, going to the theater is at least an option. So how many people will go see Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson in The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard when it opens in theaters? Perhaps not a great deal, as the movie is looking to only do about $16 million in its first five days of release.

The Hitman's Bodyguard was something of a surprise hit when it was released back in 2017. It made $176 million worldwide on a modest budget, and saw an opening weekend over $20 million domestically. By comparison, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard is only projected to do $14-$16 million over its first five days of release, according to The Wrap. The movie opened this past Wednesday rather than the traditional Friday release, though we can expect the majority of its income to happen Friday-Sunday.

Even with the small opening, the comedy sequel still has a pretty modest budget all things considered, so it's possible the movie will still end up a "success," especially after international territories are taken into account, but it will be an uphill climb.

There are a couple of obvious reasons that The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard might not be a smash hit. The first is that a lot of people still aren't quite ready to go to movie theaters. The other reason is that, critical response to The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard is not very good. While the original film didn't exactly get rave reviews, the sequel is getting hit even harder with harsh criticism.

Bad reviews certainly aren't the end of the world for most films. There have been plenty of massive blockbusters that have made billions at the box office despite critics hating them. However, when the bad reviews are combined with potential apprehension, the review may actually mean a lot more. Maybe you'd be willing to go back to the theater for a really good movie, but for one you might not love, is it worth it?

At the same time, anything is possible. We could find that what people need more than anything right now is a chance to laugh and so seeing Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson could be just what moviegoers are looking for. The film could greatly exceed expectations. If people decide this is the weekend to go back to the movies, this is likely what many will see.

Of course, people might have already decided exactly when they're going to go back to the movies and they may be waiting another week, until F9 arrives.

When you throw down a hit like 2018’s The Hitman’s Bodyguard, it’s almost assured that a sequel is going to be in the works. It didn’t take long for director Patrick Hughes’ foul-mouthed action fun fest to find itself greenlit for a follow-up that could have either been a blessing or a curse on the franchise that built itself on Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds putting each other in danger. Leaning more into the comedy side of the balancing act, and giving Salma Hayek a more central role are just two of the reasons why The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard happens to exceed the success of its predecessor. What results is an hysterically explosive comedy that’s harder, better, faster and sillier.

Still traumatized by the events of The Hitman’s Bodyguard, and still under review for reinstatement as a AAA-certified bodyguard, Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) is in therapy and overdue for a vacation. Much as the audience would come to expect, that rest and relaxation was never in the cards, as Sofia Kincaid (Salma Hayek) snags Michael back into action, kicking and screaming. In true sequel fashion, everything is on the line in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, as a scheming villain (Antonio Banderas) wants to plunge Europe into anarchy, Sofia and Darius (Samuel L. Jackson) are trying to have a baby, and Michael just wants to be loved and allowed to finish reading The Secret.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard allows comedy to take the driver’s seat, while still providing some fast-paced action.

During the first time around in The Hitman’s Bodyguard’s universe, the events of the first film definitely felt heavier on the action half of action-comedy spectrum. While that certainly worked, it always felt like the comedy piece to the puzzle could have stood to gain some more momentum, especially with a cast as funny as the one assembled here. That wish is granted in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, as the sequel goes all out with its jokes.

The ante is certainly upped, both in terms of the jokes that are built into the dialogue, as well as the action set pieces that director Patrick Hughes sets into motion. But while the explosions and car chases in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard do hit harder than those in the previous film, there’s an anarchic energy that sets the tone closer to that of a spoof of the sort of movie this is supposed to represent. While the overall plot of the villain is, yet again, pushed into the background, that doesn't rob the overall narrative of its charms.

Salma Hayek steals the show from Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, while the trio make an impressive overall team.

If Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson’s energies didn’t work in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, the movie would have been doomed from the start. So throwing their talents together again is clearly a formula that works, as Michael and Darius still have problems after almost four years apart. However, Salma Hayek’s Sofia is the secret weapon, as she gets to shine in a more central role.

Getting to arm up, go undercover, and spew even more profuse obscenities than before, Sofia drives a lot of what makes The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard shine. Boosting the energy in any scene she shares with any of her co-stars, Hayek fuels the engine for this second time charmer to a great extent. The machinery gets to work a little better thanks to her part in the central team of actors, and with fellow scene stealers like Antonio Banderas and Morgan Freeman on deck in supporting roles, the expanded roster only helps make this central trio an impressive overall team.

Leaving everything on the field, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is an over-the-top love letter to violence, profanity, and pop music.

It’s already hard enough to sell an R-rated comedy, but making a sequel to that sort of film is even more difficult in the grand scheme of things. The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard shows that this potentially continuing series is determined to bring spectacle back to the R-rated action comedy. And what’s more, the talent behind returning the audience into the world of Michael Bryce and the Kincaids are up to the challenge of hitting everyone with as many f-bombs and incendiary devices as possible, one more time.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is every bit as fun as advertised; nothing more and nothing less. But even that is thanks to the over-the-top enthusiasm shared by all to leave everything on the field. If you’re ready to see the same sort of template that laid the groundwork for this series get a little sillier, with more property damage left in its wake, you should have no problem smiling through this fast-paced comedy thriller.

Back in 2017, Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson teamed up for The Hitman’s Bodyguard, which saw Reynolds’ Michael Bryce being hired to protect Jackson’s Darius Kincaid when he’s targeted for assassination. Four years later, these Hollywood stars have reunited for The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, which sees Salma Hayek’s Sonia Kincaid getting an expanded role. The sequel arrives later this month (though some of you may be seeing it early), but reviews are now trickling in, so we have an early read on how Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is being received critically.

Starting off, The Hollywood Reporter’s John DeFore was not impressed with The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, calling it a “by-the-book sequel to a movie that was already striking in its unoriginality.” DeFore commended the decision to place Salma Hayek’s character in the spotlight, but it wasn’t enough to improve the overall film’s quality, specifically the humor.

The Wrap’s Alonso Duralde was similarly dissatisfied with The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, saying how the sequel was “a movie even more negligible and forgettable than the first one.” Describing the two Bodyguard movies as being more like “spreadsheets,” Duralde stated that the sequel doesn’t have “one legitimate laugh” and it seemed like no one cared that the story doesn’t work.

Molly Freeman from ScreenRant was kinder to Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, stamping it with a 3/5 score. Freeman wrote that the sequel is “a perfectly serviceable action-comedy” that primarily stands out with its star power, though the story itself leaves a lot to be desired.

Finally, Paste Magazine’s Jacob Oller also fell into more mixed territory with The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, noting that Salma Hayek makes the sequel better than its predecessor and the film’s “primary pleasure” is its “commitment of its cast to its bloody, profane vapidity.” But ultimately, this movie doesn’t deliver enough to make it an exceptional product.

Going off these early reviews and a handful of others, it sounds like The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard will score an overall similar critical reception to The Hitman’s Bodyguard, i.e. falling in the mixed-negative range. That said, The Hitman’s Bodyguard performed solidly on the commercial front, making over $176 million worldwide, so perhaps The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard will perform similarly in that area too now that movie theaters are reopening. In addition to the aforementioned actors, the sequel also stars Morgan Freeman, Antonio Banderas, Frank Grillo and Richard E. Grant, among others.

You can judge The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard for yourself when it premieres on the big screen June 16. For those of you wondering what other movies are on the way this year, look through our 2021 release schedule.

After what seems like an eternity, theaters are starting to reopen around the world and audiences are likely champing at the bit to go see the latest movies on the big screen. But with the international film schedule busy as ever, keeping tabs on all the United Kingdom movie release dates is easier said than done. Fret not, as we have put together a comprehensive list of all the major film releases in the United Kingdom along with their respective release dates, stars, and other key information that will help you decide if it’s something you want to see opening night, wait for a matinee a few weeks later, or hold off until they find their eventual home in the world of streaming.

(This list is strictly for UK movie releases. Here's where you can find the 2021 movie premiere schedule for U.S. releases.)

With multiple Marvel movies, the long-awaited return of James Bond, and several upcoming video game movies, there's a lot to look forward to in 2021, 2022, and beyond. As is often the case, release dates are subject to change throughout the year.

June 2021 Movie Releases

With horror, drama, and big-budget spectacles like the upcoming Fast and Furious 9, also known as F9, there are plenty of reasons to escape the summer heat and head to your local cinema in June 2021.

Thursday, June 3rd

A Quiet Place Part II - Theatrical - Rating 15 - Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, John Krasinski

Friday, June 4th

Dream Horse - Theatrical - Rating PG - Toni Collette, Damien Lewis

Gunda - Theatrical - Rating PG - Documentary

The Killing of Two Lovers - Theatrical - Rating 15 - Chris Coy, Clayne Crawford

Land - Theatrical - Rating 12A - Robin Wright, Sarah Dawn Pledge

After Love - Theatrical - Rating 12A - Joanna Scanlan, Nathalie Richard

Wednesday, June 9th

Nobody - Theatrical, Streaming - Rating 15 - Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen

Friday, June 11th

The Father - Theatrical, Streaming - Rating 12A - Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman

Thursday, June 17th

In The Earth - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Joel Fry, Reece Shearsmith

Friday, June 18th

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Selma Hayek

In The Heights - Theatrical, Streaming - Rating PG - Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera

Monster Hunter - Theatrical - Rating 12A - Milla Jovovich, Ron Perlman

Boys from County Hell - Theatrical - Rating 15 - Jack Rowan, Louisa Harland

Thursday, June 24th

F9 - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Vin Diesel, John Cena, Charlize Theron

July 2021 Movie Releases

The movie schedule really picks up in July 2021 with the long-awaited premiere of the next entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Black Widow.

Friday, July 2nd

Another Round - Theatrical, Streaming - Rating 12A - Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen

Voyagers - Theatrical, Rating TBD - Colin Farrell, Tye Sheridan

Freaky - Theatrical - Rating 15 - Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton

Night of the Kings - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Bakary Koné, Steve Tientcheu

Friday, July 9th

Black Widow - Theatrical, Streaming - Rating 15 - Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh

Supernova - Theatrical - Rating 15 - Colin Firth, Stanley Tucci

Friday, July 16th

Space Jam: A New Legacy - Theatrical, Streaming - Rating TBD - Lebron James, Don Cheadle

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Taylor Russell, Logan Miller

The Forever Purge - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Josh Lucas, Ana de la Reguera

The Croods: A New Age - Theatrical - Rating U - Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone

The Birthday Cake - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Ewan McGregor, Val Kilmer

Summer Of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Documentary

Friday, July 23rd

Wrath of Man - Theatrical - Rating 15 - Jason Statham, Scott Eastwood

Old - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps

Riders of Justice - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Mads Mikkelsen, Andrea Heick Gadenberg

Hotel Transylvania: Transformania - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Selena Gomez, Andy Sandberg

Friday, July 30th

Jungle Cruise - Theatrical, Streaming - Rating 12A - Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt

The Suicide Squad - Theatrical, Streaming - Rating TBD - John Cena, Idris Elba, Margot Robbie

Spirit Untamed - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Jake Gyllenhaal, Julianne Moore

The Sparks Brothers - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Documentary

Limbo - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Sidse Babett Knudsen

August 2021 Movie Releases

In August 2021, Ryan Reynolds fans will be happy to finally get to see Free Guy on the big screen following multiple delays going back to 2020.

Wednesday, August 4th

Medusa - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Sarah T. Cohen, Megan Purvis

Friday, August 6th

The Green Knight - Theatrical - Rating 15 - Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander

Profile - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Valene Kane, Morgan Watkins

Stillwater - Theatrical - Rating 12A - Matt Damon, Abigail Breslin

Minamata - Theatrical - Rating 15 - Johnny Depp, Bill Nighy, Akiko Iwase

The Last Letter From Your Lover - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Shailene Woodley, Felicity Jones

Friday, August 13th

Free Guy - Theatrical - Rating 15 - Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer

New Order - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Naian González Norvind, Fernando Cuautle

Paw Patrol: The Movie - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Randall Park, Tyler Perry

Don’t Breathe 2 - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Stephen Lang

I Am Your Man - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Maren Eggert, Dan Stevens

Wednesday, August 18th

Reminiscence - Theatrical, Streaming - Rating TBD - Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson

People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Asim Chaudhry, Allan Mustafa

Friday, August 20th

Snake Eyes - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Henry Golding, Samara Weaving

The Night House - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Rebecca Hall, Sarah Goldberg

Censor - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Niamh Algar, Michael Smiley

Demonic - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Carly Pope, Nathalie Boltt

Friday, August 27th

The Nest - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Jude Law, Carrie Coon

Candyman - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tony Todd

The Beatles: Get Back - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Documentary

Tuesday, August 31st

Sound of Violence - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Jasmin Savory Brown, Lili Simmons

September 2021 Movie Releases

Marvel Studios’ momentum will continue into September 2021 when Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings makes its long-awaited debut. The ninth month of the year will also see the arrival of Dune and No Time to Die.

Friday, September 3rd

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Simu Liu, Awkwafina

The Duke - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Matthew Goode, Helen Mirren

Friday, September 10th

Respect - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker

Wednesday, September 15th

Venom: Let There Be Carnage - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson

Friday, September 17th

Dune - Theatrical, Streaming - Rating TBD - Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya

Thursday, September 30th

No Time to Die - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Daniel Craig, Rami Malek

October 2021 Movie Releases

October 2021 will have its fair share of thrills and chills with two horror sequels: The Addams Family 2 and Halloween Kills. The Halloween month will also see the Last Night in Soho roll into theaters.

Friday, October 8th

The Addams Family 2 - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron

Friday, October 15th

Halloween Kills - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer

The Last Duel - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Ben Affleck

Friday, October 22nd

Dear Evan Hansen - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Ben Platt, Amy Adams

The French Dispatch - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Bill Murray, Jeffrey Wright

Jackass 4 - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O

The Many Saints Of Newark - Theatrical, Streaming - Rating TBD - Alessandro Nivola, Jon Bernthal

The Boss Baby: Family Business - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Alec Baldwin, James Marsden

Ron’s Gone Wrong - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Jack Dylan Grazer, Thomas Barbusca

Friday, October 29th

Last Night in Soho - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith

November 2021 Movie Releases

November 2021 will be another month dominated by the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Academy Award-winning director Chloe Zhao’s Eternals lands in theaters.

Friday, November 5th

Eternals - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek

Friday, November 12th

Ghostbusters: Afterlife - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon

Belfast - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe

Friday, November 19th

Top Gun: Maverick - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Tom Cruise, Miles Teller

Friday, November 26th

House of Gucci - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Lady Gaga, Adam Driver

Encanto - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Stepahnie Beatriz

December 2021 Movie Releases

The 2021 Christmas holiday will be a busy one with multiple high-profile movies being released in the final month of the year. Everything from West Side Story to Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Matrix 4 to Downton Abbey 2 will give moviegoers plenty of options.

Friday, December 3rd

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hooper

Friday, December 10th

West Side Story - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler

Friday, December 17th

Spider-Man: No Way Home - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch

Wednesday, December 22nd

The Matrix 4 - Theatrical, Streaming - Rating TBD - Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss

The King’s Man - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes

Downton Abbey 2 - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Dominic West, Michelle Dockery

Friday, December 24th

Clifford the Big Red Dog - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Darby Camp, Jack Whitehall

January 2022 Movie Releases

The new year will start off with a bang, err slash with the premiere of Scream, the fifth installment in the ‘90s horror franchise.

Friday, January 7th

Operation Mincemeat - Theatrical - Rating TBD -

Friday, January 14th

Scream - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Neve Campbell, David Arquette

The 355 - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o

Sesame Street - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Anne Hathaway, Matt Vogel

Friday, January 28th

Sing 2 - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon

A Journal for Jordan - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Michael B. Jordan, Tamara Tunie

February 2022 Movie Releases

February 2022 will see the release of two movies whose respective release dates have been kicked like a can the past few years: Death on the Nile and Uncharted.

Friday, February 11th

Death on the Nile - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot

Friday, February 18th

Uncharted - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg

Ambulance - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

March 2022 Movie Releases

Two of the biggest names in comic books — Batman and Doctor Strange — will compete for supremacy at the box office in March 2022.

Friday, March 4th

The Batman - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Robert Pattinson, Paul Dano

Friday March 25th

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen

April 2022 Movie Releases

April 2022 will see the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which will try to replicate the surprise success of its 2020 predecessor.

Friday, April 8th

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Ben Schwartz, James Marsden

May 2022 Movie Releases

Two of Hollywood’s biggest leading men — Chris Hemsworth and Keanu Reeves — will provide moviegoers with one hell of a way to kick off the Summer 2022 blockbuster season with the release of Thor: Love and Thunder and John Wick: Chapter 4.

Friday, May 6th

Thor: Love and Thunder - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman

Friday, May 27th

John Wick: Chapter 4 - Theatrical - Rating TBD - Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne

As we have come to know the past couple of years, the movie calendar can change at the drop of a hat, so make sure to check back for all the latest information as the months go by. And don’t forget to check out CinemaBlend’s 2021 movie premiere schedule while you’re here.

Ryan Reynolds is officially returning to the big screen this summer in a leading role for the first time since Detective Pikachu, and I can’t wait. He’ll star in the sequel for The Hitman’s Bodyguard, titled The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard with Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek. The shoot ‘em up action comedy is set to come in mid-June, but thanks to Lionsgate, fans will have the opportunity to see it almost a full week earlier in theaters.

The studio is showing The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard before its official release day for fans who use the app Snapchat. There are currently early tickets available for Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12 across the country on the app’s Movie Tickets By Atom section ahead of its wide release on June 16. AMC Theaters is offering early access to the movie at select locations as well.

It’s always a nice feeling to see a movie a bit before it comes out, and Lionsgate is making this happen through its partnership with Snapchat and AMC Theaters. To find tickets via Snapchat, go to the tab directly to the right of the camera icon with the two heads on it and search for “Movie Tickets by Atom.” You’ll be directed to a place within the app where you can buy tickets to The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard before the rest of the world has a chance to see it.

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard follows the 2017 hit that starred Ryan Reynolds as said bodyguard, Michael Bryce, to Samuel L. Jackson’s hitman character, Darius Kincaid. In the upcoming sequel, Salma Hayek’s Sonia Kincaid will enlist Michael to help her rescue her husband Darius amidst his sabbatical from bodyguarding. It definitely looks like a fun popcorn movie to enjoy during the summer. Check out the latest trailer below:

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard will be the only major movie opening on Wednesday, June 16, but it will follow the release of In The Heights the weekend prior and Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway during its first weekend. The projections for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s movie musical is that it's looking like the next big hit of the summer following A Quiet Place Part II surpassing weekend numbers since the pandemic began over its recent debut.

Some early screening dollars could help The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard get a headstart at the box office and build some hype for the movie as well. If early moviegoers like the film, they may raise interest in the film and bring in more tickets opening week. Its huge cast is already a huge draw – not to mention Antonio Banderas and Morgan Freeman also have roles in the movie.

The sequel wrapped back in spring 2019 and was initially going to be part of summer 2020’s calendar, so seeing it sooner than later is a great perk! Along with The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard coming this month, Reynolds will also star in Free Guy coming August 13 with a host of exciting 2021 movie releases.

Since her Hollywood debut in Desperado in 1995, Salma Hayek has proved she had the chops to be an action star, and over 25 years later, she’s ready to show she’s still got it with The Hitman’s Wife's Bodyguard, alongside Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson. The actress will have a lead role in the film after her small role as Kincaid’s wife Sonia in the 2017 movie The Hitman's Bodyguard, and she didn’t hold back on her costars.

The 55-year-old actress has a major year in front of her as we count down to Marvel’s Eternals and awards contender House of Gucci later in 2021. But first up is The Hitman’s Wife's Bodyguard, which will have Sonia stepping up the action. Ryan Reynolds recently spoke about his experience working with her with a hilarious anecdote:

Classic Ryan Reynolds. The Deadpool actor told Variety that Salma Hayek really went for it when she had to slap him for the movie. Of course, the actor is known for his snarkiness, so chances are he’s being a bit dramatic with the “sting” bit, especially since they wrapped back in 2019. Either way, it’s a funny tidbit ahead of audiences seeing the movie. Do you think we can catch which slap was the one that Reynolds will never forget on screen?

I wouldn’t be surprised if Ryan Reynolds has insurance on his cheekbones somehow, but nonetheless, there should be a special clause for icons like Salma Hayek, because that’s honestly an honor. It’s a great tease for Hayek reprising her role as the wife of Samuel L. Jackson’s Kincaid, Sonia. Check them out in the movie’s trailer below:

The movie will follow Ryan Reynolds’ Michael Bryce four years after the events of the original, where he is on a company mandated sabbatical from bodyguarding. That is, until Salma Hayek’s Sonia rescues him from an assassination attempt and asks Michael to help her save her husband. Bryce does so, but is not allowed to use firearms or weapons due to his sabbatical.

The Hitman’s Wife's Bodyguard will also star Antonio Banderas as the movie’s villain, Aristotle Papadopolous, who is a powerful mobster. It’ll be exciting to see Salma Hayek working again with her Desperado costar. The movie is set to come to theaters this summer on June 16 followed by Salma Hayek’s Marvel debut in Eternals this November.

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Are you ready for the busiest summer at the movies ever? The forecast projects that to be a strong possibility as many 2021 summer movies, such as the Marvel movies’ long-awaited solo flick Black Widow, John Krasinski’s thrilling sequel A Quiet Place Part II, or The Forever Purge, the fifth installment of the anarchist horror franchise, were initially intended to be 2020 summer movies. Thus, there is much, much more to keep up with, which is why we compiled this quick guide to the most anticipated upcoming summer movies to keep on your radar this year, starting with one you can catch in the privacy of your own home.

Army Of The Dead (May 21, 2021)

For fans of Zack Snyder’s DC movies still hoping to see him return to his roots as a disciple of George A. Romero, one of the biggest upcoming Netflix movies promises just that. Dave Bautista leads a team of mercenaries looking to pull the ultimate heist in one of the last safe places in Las Vegas after an outbreak of reanimated flesh-eaters in this action-packed hybrid of Dawn of the Dead with Ocean’s Eleven and an extra helping of Call of Duty’s zombie level. Find out how to watch Army of the Dead streaming and in theaters, and learn more about Army of the Dead here.

Cruella (May 28, 2021)

Before kicking off its series of live-action remakes of its own animated classics, Disney beat themselves to the punch with 101 Dalmations, starring Glenn Close, in the 1990s. Instead, I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie’s new effort in this line-up takes a cue from Maleficent and explains the origins of the spotted pups’ worst nightmare: Cruella de Vil, as played by Academy Award winner Emma Stone in her early days in the fashion industry. Learn more about Cruella, which will also be available as a premium option to stream on Disney+, here.

A Quiet Place Part II (May 28, 2021)

One of the most anticipated upcoming horror movies of the year is a hard one to keep quiet about, but audiences will have no other choice. The story of a family (led by Emily Blunt) forced to live in silence in order to survive a world overrun with ravenous aliens that hunt on sound continues in writer and director John Krasinski’s sequel to his hit thriller A Quiet Place from 2018. Learn more about A Quiet Place Part II here.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (June 4, 2021)

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reunite as real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren for their darkest case yet. The 1981 trial of a man claiming he was demonically possessed when he murdered his landlord serves as the basis for the third of the Conjuring movies and eighth installment of the Conjuring Universe movies overall. Learn more about The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It here.

Vivo (June 4, 2021)

Lin-Manuel Miranda has lent his musical talents to many major motion pictures in recent years, including the Star Wars movies and the Academy Award-nominated Moana from Disney Animation. The multi-talented artist voices the titular cuddly animal in a new animated musical premiering exclusively on Netflix. Learn more about Vivo here.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (June 16, 2021)

After becoming friends through the events The Hitman’s Bodyguard, hired protector Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) and hired gun Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson) team-up again in an attempt to rescue Kincaid’s wife, Sonia (Salma Hayek). Director Patrick Hughes returns to helm this follow-up to his hit action comedy from 2017. Learn more about The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard here.

In The Heights (June 18, 2021)

Before Hamilton made creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda a household name, he was already a Tony-winning Broadway hero as the star and creator of this hip-hop infused tale of diverse New Yorkers with dollar signs in their eyes. Musician and Hamilton actor Anthony Ramos assumes Miranda’s original lead role for the star-studded film adaptation from Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu. Learn more about In the Heights here.

Luca (June 18, 2021)

A young boy (Jacob Tremblay) finds adventure and friendship with a girl (Emma Berman) on the Italian Riviera while hiding the fact that he is secretly a sea monster in disguise. The Pixar movies’ latest “fish out of water” story, also the feature-length directorial debut of Italian-born animator Enrico Casarosa, will be exclusively available to steam on Disney+. Learn more about Luca here.

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (June 18, 2021)

Now that the newly married Thomas (Domnhall Gleeson) and Bea (Rose Byrne) have allowed Peter Rabbit (James Corden) and his family to stay on his garden, the boisterous bunny has grown bored his life. This propels him to seek new adventures in the big city in this sequel to the surprise hit and very loose adaptation of Beatrix Potter’s famous book from 2018. Learn more about Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway here.

F9 (June 25, 2021)

The fast and furious family who live their lives a quarter mile at a time are at it again and for the ninth round. This time, the threat is Dom Toretto’s (Vin Diesel) estranged brother, Jakob (John Cena), whom Cipher (Charlize Theron) has roped in to help achieve her latest act of revenge. Learn more about F9 here.

The Tomorrow War (July 2, 2021)

Chris Pratt leads a star-studded team of experienced combatants drafted into a fight for humanity’s future that will literally take them into the future. The intriguing sci-fi action flick, which we hope will be one of the best movies on Amazon Prime upon its exclusive premiere, is the first live-action effort from The LEGO Batman Movie director Chris McKay since 2002. Learn more about The Tomorrow War here.

The Forever Purge (July 2, 2021)

The intention of the Purge was to give people an outlet for their sociopathic tendencies just once a year, but what if the chaos never stopped? The latest installment of the Purge movies - Blumhouse’s conceptually clever franchise of politically motivated thrillers - sets out to answer that question. Learn more about The Forever Purge here.

Black Widow (July 9, 2021)

In typical MCU fashion, it appears the devastation of Natasha Romanoff’s death in Avengers: Endgame was only meant to be temporary. The former assassin turned superhero played by Scarlett Johansson finally gets her moment in the spotlight in this solo movie that takes place in between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. Learn more about Black Widow here.

Space Jam: A New Legacy (July 16, 2021)

In 1996’s Space Jam, Michael Jordan returned to the court to help Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes avoid intergalactic imprisonment. Current Los Angeles Lakers point guard LeBron James must follow in Jordan’s footsteps in order to rescue his son from a world where all of Warner Bros’ intellectual properties seem to co-exist in this long-awaited sequel. Learn more about Space Jam: A New Legacy here.

Old (July 23, 2021)

Gael García Bernal plays a man vacationing with his family on a beach where they find themselves aging much quicker than they should be. I am curious what sort of twist director M. Night Shyamalan puts on this adaptation of an inventive, horrifying French-Belgian graphic novel. Learn more about Old here.

Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (July 23, 2021)

Actor Brian Hull fills in for Adam Sandler as the voice of Count Dracula in what is predicted to be the fourth and final Hotel Transylvania movies installment. Celebrated animator Genndy Tartakovsky returns as writer and producer, along with previous Hotel Transylvania cast members Andy Samberg and Selena Gomez, for the latest adventure featuring classic monsters. Learn more about Hotel Transylvania: Transformania here.

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (July 23, 2021)

In the latest live action movie based on the popular G.I. Joe action figures, the team’s anonymous, sword-wielding martial artist commando known only as Snake Eyes gets his own prequel spin-off. The character, previously portrayed by Darth Maul actor Ray Park in the first two G.I. Joe movies, will be played by Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding. Learn more about Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins here.

Stillwater (July 30, 2021)

Academy Award winner Matt Damon stars as an oil driller from Oklahoma who travels to France after his estranged daughter (Abigail Breslin) is accused of murdering a fellow student while studying abroad. This tense crime drama from Spotlight director Tom McCarthy is loosely based on infamous trial of Amanda Knox. Learn more about Stillwater here.

Jungle Cruise (July 30, 2021)

In his latest adventure into the wild, Dwayne Johnson’s lowly riverboat captain is enlisted by ambitious researcher Emily Blunt on a quest to find to find the Tree of Life. The action-packed, period fantasy from Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam director Jaume Collet-Serra is also the latest time Disney turned one of their own theme park rides into a movie. Learn more about Jungle Cruise here.

The Green Knight (July 30, 2021)

From Pete’s Dragon director David Lowery comes this retelling of the 14th Century fantasy poem Sir Gaiwan and the Green Knight produced by A24. Dev Patel plays Gaiwan opposite Ralph Ineson as the mysterious titular warrior. Learn more about The Green Knight here.

The Suicide Squad (August 6, 2021)

Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), and other bad guys from the Suicide Squad cast return to do some more “good,” along with a few new, bizarre reinforcements, under Amanda Waller’s order (Viola Davis). Guardians of the Galaxy director takes over for David Ayer to helm this “rebootquel” to his Oscar-winning DC supervillains extravaganza from 2016. Learn more about The Suicide Squad here.

Free Guy (August 13, 2021)

A bank teller (Ryan Reynolds) becomes an unlikely hero for his doomed, crime-ridden city after learning that he is actually an NPC in a popular video game. Jodie Comer, Lil Rel Howery, and Taika Waititi are also featured in the supporting cast of this unique action comedy from director Shawn Levy. Learn more about Free Guy here.

Respect (August 13, 2021)

In August 2018, we lost one of the most talented and influential singers in music history, Aretha Franklin, at the age of 76. Nearly three years later, the story of her groundbreaking career comes to life, as portrayed by Academy Award winner and fellow songstress Jennifer Hudson. Learn more about Respect here.

Paw Patrol: The Movie (August 20, 2021)

In the long-running hit Nickelodeon show for young children called Paw Patrol, a boy named Ryder leads a team of playful puppy dogs dedicated to protecting their seaside community of Adventure Bay. Now, a star-studded Paw Patrol: The Movie cast (including Dax Shepard and Kim Kardashian) lead the pups’ first big screen adventure. Learn more about Paw Patrol: The Movie here.

The Protégé (August 20, 2021)

High-ranking assassins Anna (Maggie Q) and Rembrandt (Michael Keaton) have been competing against each other for the most high-paying jobs for years. However, when Anna’s former mentor, Moody (Samuel L. Jackson), is suddenly murdered, the rivals reluctantly team up and return to Vietnam to find Moody’s killer in this exciting espionage thriller from Casino Royale director Martin Campbell. Learn more about The Protégé here.

Candyman (August 27, 2021)

In 1992, renowned horror writer Clive Barker introduced the terrifying legend of the Candyman (played by Scream King Tony Todd) into cinematic history. Co-writer and producer Jordan Peele and director Nia DaCosta bring the legend back from the dead in this unique new vision starring Aquaman 2’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and WandaVision cast actor Teyonah Parris. Learn more about Candyman here.

Does this list look like Summer 2021 will be jam-packed enough for you? If so, is there one particularl summer movie you are most excited for?

This poll is no longer available.

I'm not sure a sequel to the buddy comedy The Hitman's Bodyguard starring Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson was something that a lot of people were really needing in their life. However, having now seen the red band trailer for that movie, I'm honestly not sure there's anything we all need more. The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard promises a larger role for Salma Hayek, and a lot of gun violence and foul language, and right now, it just looks like the sort of summer movie fun we all need. Check out the hilarious trailer above.

The trailer shows that Ryan Reynolds' character Michael Bryce has been dealing with the fallout of the events of the first movie with therapy, and that he has given up the bodyguard business for his own health. Unfortunately, Bryce is pulled back in by Salma Hayek's character Sonia, and even though it seems literally nobody wants to be there, the duo of Bryce and hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson) is back together again.

The Hitman's Bodyguard wasn't a massive blockbuster smash but it made nearly $200 million at the global box office off a budget of around $30 million, which is pocket change by Hollywood standards. That's a very profitable movie, so it's little shock that a sequel was given the green light, and if the duo of Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson entertained audiences once, there's a pretty solid chance it will do so again.

In an era where it largely feels like the very concept of star power is fading away, it likely was the combo of Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson that made The Hitman's Bodyguard such a hit. Each actor has found strong success in R-rated films, and more specifically R-rated comedies, so seeing them together is sort of a dream team experience. And the new movie looks like it will just as much fun as audiences are hoping for. Right now we could probably all use a good laugh at the movies.

And certainly the audience aren't the only ones looking for a good time. The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard will see both Antonio Banderas and Morgan Freeman joining the fun, and while we don't see a great deal of them in the trailer, we can expect they too will get to have their share of the movie's hilarious and vulgar violent fun.

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard is set for release on June 16 and right now that is set to be theaters only. While we haven't worked our way entirely out of the pandemic's focus on streaming, many films are ready to assume that audiences will return to theaters. And one has to admit that the idea of laughing out loud with an group of people that is having an equally good time does sound like a lot of fun.

When your doctor tells you to take it easy, it’s a good time for a vacation. That’s the sort of situation Ryan Reynolds’ protagonist finds himself in at the beginning of The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, but it doesn’t last for long. With Salma Hayek trying to rescue a captive Samuel L. Jackson, and a lot of invested parties trying to stop her, both blockbuster actors are going to go on the run from some very bad men. And as you see in the trailer above, it’s all to the tune of Britney Spears’ “Baby… One More Time.”

In The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, we see Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) still traumatized by the experiences of the previous film, The Hitman’s Bodyguard. It’s so bad, his psychiatrist tells him to take time to himself, kick back on a beach, and read The Secret. He consciously chose those last two bits, as well as the prime ‘90s tune-age to setting himself up for relaxing success. Which is exactly when Sonia Kincaid (Salma Hayek) wife to the kidnapped Darius (Samuel L. Jackson) springs into action and yanks Michael out of relaxation and into the fight.

If the non-stop action of The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard wasn’t enough to lure in audiences who made The Hitman’s Bodyguard a surprise hit at the box office, then the jokes are certainly the cherry on top. Not to mention, new baddie Antonio Banderas is going to make matters all the better, as action/comedy is a wheelhouse he’s played towards many times before. But damn if that Britney Spears needle drop isn’t the bow that ties the whole package together.

Originally set to debut in 2020, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard was pushed into 2021 just as it was about to rev up the engines and go into promotion mode. Thankfully, that wait has given the folks at Lionsgate enough time to position this sequel to debut with its best foot forward. Which, apparently, meant that it was time to break out a chart topping hit from 1998, and to give it an action charged makeover. Honestly, we wouldn’t be surprised if Ryan Reynolds stumped for that decision, as he knows a thing or two about pop music marketing.

Maybe, some day, Ryan Reynolds will get to kick back and have his “me time.” Though with movies like The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard and Free Guy dropping all over the 2021 release calendar, it doesn’t seem likely in the near future. Could we be seeing the summer of Ryan Reynolds taking shape? Well, that depends on if July manages to land one of his movies, and if The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard co-star Morgan Freeman doesn’t sneak in some movies at the last minute. Mr. Freeman’s sneaky like that.

Action fans and pop music lovers, rejoice! Your two worlds have crossed over in the trailer for The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, and it’s an absolutely beautiful day. Which means another, greater wave of beauty could hit us, baby, one more time, when the film opens in theaters on June 16th.

Morgan Freeman, the man who has warmed our hearts and brought joy to our ears with his distinct voice and its soothing cadence, has been a major fixture in film, television (both shows and commercials), and a growing number of documentaries over the years. This American treasure, having won over audiences with beloved movies like The Shawshank Redemption, March of the Penguins, and Million Dollar Baby (for which he won an Academy Award), looks to continue doing what he does best even as he approaches his mid-80s. And with upcoming movies like The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard on the way, it doesn’t look like we’ve seen the last of him yet.

In the coming months and years, Morgan Freeman will show up in everything the Eddie Murphy comedy Coming 2 America, a hilarious crime caper in The Comeback Trail, and an action thriller called Vanquish that will see him share the screen with another big name who knows a thing or two about working in Gotham City. All that being said, here’s what lies ahead for Morgan Freeman.

Coming 2 America - March 5, 2021 (Completed)

After more than 30 years, the sequel to Eddie Murphy’s 1988 box-office smash hit Coming to America, properly titled Coming 2 America is finally upon us. Returning for the long-awaited followup to the historic original, the second installment in the series will see the return of Murphy’s Akeem Joffer and his best friend and trusty aide, Semmi (Arsenio Hall), as the former prince and now king of Zamunda returns to Queens to meet his long-lost son in hopes of making him the crown prince. In addition to the returning cast which includes James Earl Jones, Shari Headley, and John Amos, to name a few, the movie will also feature Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, Wesley Snipes, and Morgan Freeman in an undisclosed role.

Directed by Craig Brewer, who helmed the 2019 surprisingly and refreshingly hilarious Dolemite is my Name, Coming 2 America is a project that has been in the works for a number of years, having gained steam in January 2017, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Eddie Murphy’s involvement was confirmed in early 2019 with the rest of cast being added in the months following the big announcement. And to close out the year, Eddie Murphy revealed during a December 2019 interview with All Hip Hop that his daughter, Bella Murphy, and Morgan Freeman would both be part of the cast.

Production began on Coming 2 America back in August 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia, per Metro, and wrapped that November. The movie was initially slated to be released in theaters on August 7, 2020, but that date was later pushed back to December 18, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That release never came, however, as Amazon Studios shocked the world and purchased distribution rights for $125 million and will release it on its Prime Video streaming service on March 5, 2021.

Vanquish - April 23, 2021 (Post-Production)

Morgan Freeman is no stranger to playing morally ambiguous characters, and he’ll once again try out that type of role in George Gallo (who is also directing The Comeback Trail) in the action thriller Vanquish. In September 2020, Deadline reported that Freeman will play a retired police commissioner who kidnaps his caretaker, played by Ruby Rose, by kidnapping her daughter as a way to get her to help him get back at the crooked detectives in his old precinct as he tries to clean up the city. And although Freeman and Rose have both appeared in Batman-related properties, the upcoming drama from the Bad Boys and Midnight Run writer isn’t set in Gotham City.

Production on Vanquish began in September 2020 in Biloxi, Mississippi, according to the same Deadline report announcing the casting. Principal photography continued through the latter part of the year before concluding some time before February 2021, per a report from The Hollywood Reporter. There is no word on when the action thriller will be released, but with Vanquish already in the post-production phase, it could be sooner rather than later before we see Morgan Freeman and Ruby Rose share the screen.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard - August 20, 2021 (Post-Production)

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, the stacked sequel to Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson’s 2017 action comedy The Hitman’s Bodyguard, features one hell of a cast including Salma Hayek (the hitman’s wife alluded to in the title), Antonio Banderas, Richard E. Grant, Frank Grillo, and Morgan Freeman of all people. Set four years after the events of the first film, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard will follow Reynolds’ Michael Bryce as he not only tries to protect his client, Jackson’s Darius Kincaid, but also save Hayek’s Sonia from new and mysterious threats. The identities of Grillo, Banderas, and Freeman’s characters have yet to be revealed.

Originally slated to be released in August 2020, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard entered production in the spring of 2019, per The Hollywood Reporter. Principal photography, which was conducted in various locations throughout Europe, wrapped later that year. Everything looked like the movie would make its release date but then COVID-19 took the world by storm and forced studios to abandon or amend their release plans. Such was the case for The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard which was delayed in May 2020 when Lionsgate gave the action comedy an August 20, 2021 release date, per Deadline.

The Comeback Trail - TBD (Completed)

Morgan Freeman is often remembered for his nice and friendly supporting characters over the years, but when push comes to shove and a movie needs a menacing and unrelenting antagonist, Freeman has been able to pull it off time and time again. And now The Comeback Trail looks to be another addition to Freeman’s list of baddies that includes Wanted, Lucky Number Slevin, Outbreak, and Hard Rain with his performance as Reggie Fontaine, a mobster who finally calls in the debts owed by Robert De Niro’s Max Barber, a Hollywood producer at the end of his rope.

In the movie, which is a remake of the 1982 film of the same name, Max Barber and his nephew Walter Creason (Zack Braff) come up with an idea to pay off the debts once and for all but only if they can successfully kill Duke Montana (Tommy Lee Jones) on the set of a movie and make it look like an accident. If successful, they’ll get a big payout and have the cash to get out of debt. If they fail… well, they don’t want to fail.

The Comeback Trail was shot between June and July 2019 in New Mexico, according to Albuquerque Business First, and looked like it was well on its way to being released in November 2020. And while the crime comedy did in fact premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival in October 2020, the domestic release was taken off the schedule and has yet to receive a new date.

Solos (TV Series) - 2021 (Pre-Production)

Amazon has found a successful content model in recent years: the anthology series. With everything from 2018’s The Romanoffs to 2019’s Modern Love garnering attention following their respective releases, not to mention the abundance of shows using this format on other streamers, this continues to be something Amazon explores with its original programming. Enter Solos. The upcoming seven-part anthology series has been described by Variety as an exploration of the deeper meaning of human connection through the lens of the individual. Each of these stories will focus on a different character and how we can never lose all connection with society despite how we feel at our most isolated moments.

To illustrate and share this message, Solos will feature a truly remarkable cast consisting of Academy Award winners Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, and Anne Hathaway, Emmy Award-winning actor Uzo Aduba, and other talented names like Nicole Beharie, Anthony Mackie, Dan Stevens, and Constance Wu. The characters each of these actors will be playing throughout Solos has yet to be announced, but expect more as get closer to the show's eventual release.

There is no word on when Solos will enter production, but when it does, David Weil (who created the show and will serve as showrunner), Sam Taylor-Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey), Tiffany Johnson, and Zack Braff will direct various episodes, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The seven-part anthology series is expected to land at some point in 2021 though a more concrete date has yet to be set.

By the looks of it, we will be seeing Morgan Freeman on the silver screen, small screen, and our phones and other mobile devices for quite some time. And with the number of upcoming movies and TV shows in the works, it doesn’t sound like these five projects will be the last we will see from the Academy Award winner. If you want to know what else is coming to theaters (and streaming services) throughout the year, make sure to check CinemaBlend’s updated 2021 Movie Release Guide for all the latest information.

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2020 was a wild year for theatrical releases that is going to take quite some time to fully recover from. One the one hand, the lack of theatrical releases last year means that all those delayed films will be delayed even further when it comes to their release on Blu-ray and DVD, which left 2020 a far different year than we expected.. However, with theaters closed, many films decided to go directly to video on demand platforms. Under the circumstances, this is great, as it gives people access to the same movies in the comfort of their own homes.

Exactly what the future has in store for home releases in 2021 is anybody's guess right now. But we'll keep things updated here with the news on the newest releases as they are announced.

January DVD And Blu-ray Releases

January is frequently a slow month for brand new movies in theaters but it's usually a big month for home releases as we see popular films from the late summer and early fall coming home. Unfortunately, because of the global pandemic, the theatrical release schedule wasn't everything we were hoping for, and that domino effect has continued to plague DVD releases. Having said that, there are still some interesting movies worthy of checking out that will arrive in January.

TV fans will have plenty o series to add to their collections, including Season 2 of Jordan Peele's Twilight Zone from CBS All Access, the final season of The 100, and the first season of the television adaptation of Snowpiercer. But it isn't all TV, there were some good movies that came out last year that may have flown under the radar due to everything that was going on, and might get a much better chance to be seen now, like Jungleland, with Charlin Hunnan, and Love and Monsters starring Dylan O'Brien. Checkout the full list of January releases below.

Week Of Tuesday January 5 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Love And Monsters (2020) Starring Dylan O'Brien (order it here)

12 Hour Shift (2021) (order it here)

Mystery Road, Series 2 (order it here)

The 100: The Seventh And Final Season (order it here)

Week Of Tuesday January 12 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Spell (2020) (order it here)

American Dream (order it here)

Jungleland (2020) - Starring Charlie Hunnan, Jack O'Connell (order it here)

Legacies: The Complete Second Season (order it here)

Lupin III: The First (order it here)

Manifest: The Complete Second Season (order it here)

Monsoon (2020) (order it here)

Skylines (order it here)

The Twilight Zone Season Two (2020) (order it here)

Week Of Tuesday January 19 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

The Kid Detective (2020) - Starring Adam Brody (order it here)

Always And Forever (2020) (order it here)

Dead Reckoning (2020) (order it here)

Dreamland (2020) - Starring Margot Robbie (order it here)

Hearts And Bones - Starring Hugo Weaving (order it here)

Max Cloud 2020) (order it here)

Miss Juneteenth (2020) (order it here)

Spiral (2020) (order it here)

The Cleansing Hour (2019) (order it here)

The Village in the Woods (order it here)

Wander (2020) - Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Aaron Eckhart (order it here)

Week Of Tuesday January 26 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Come Play (2020) - Starring Gillian Jacobs, John Gallagher Jr. (order it here)

Synchronic (2019) - Starring Jamie Dornan, Anthony Mackie (order it here)

Fatman (2020) - Starring Mel Gibson (order it here)

Batman: Soul of the Dragon (2021) (order it here)

Bordertown: Season 1

Born A Champion (2021) - Starring Dennis Quad, Sean Patrick Flannery (order it here)

Doom Patrol: Complete Second Season - Starring Brenden Fraser, Timothy Dalton (order it here)

Princess of the Row (2019) - Starring Martin Sheen

Snowpiercer: The Complete First Season - Starring Jennifer Connelly, Daveed Diggs (order it here)

You: The Complete Second Season (order it here)

February DVD And Blu-ray Releases

February 2021 almost, almost, feels like the movie industry hasn't been at a near standstill for the better part of a year. While there certainly aren't as many major Blu-ray releases coming in February as might have expected 12 months ago, nearly every week of the month has something worthy of note, movies with major names that either actually were released in theaters, or at the very least would have been under normal circumstances.

The beginning of the month gives us Let Him Go, a drama with Kevin Costner and Diane Lane that is getting solid reviews, and Wild Mountain Thyme, a movie that's not nearly as well reviewed, but has such a bizarre twist in it that it might be worth checking out anyway. There's also the body swap horror movie Freaky and the better than it has any right to be disaster movie Greenland. The new "Milla Jovovich is in a movie based on a video game" film, Monster Hunter will also be available to view digitally in February ahead of its physical release next month.

If nothing else, the fact that some of these films didn't even have a theatrical release is making the physical release of the film happen incredibly quickly. One has to wonder if that process will continue even once theaters are back to normal. Here's everything slated to debut in February.

Week Of Tuesday February 2 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Let Him Go - Starring Kevin Costner and Diane Lane (order it here)

Wild Mountain Thyme - Starring Emily Blunt and Jaime Dornan (order it here)

Tesla (order it here)

Breach (order it here)

Host (order it here)

JL Family Ranch: The Wedding Gift (order it here)

Love, Weddings & Other Disasters (order it here)

Week Of Tuesday February 9 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Freaky - Starring Vince Vaughn (order it here)

Sputnik (order it here)

Greenland - Starring gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin (order it here)

Monster Zone (order it here)

The Little Prince (order it here)

The Right One

Wander Darkly - Starring Sienna Miller and Diego Luna (order it here)

Week Of Tuesday February 16 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

The Informer - Starring Ana de Armas and Joel Kinnaman (order it here)

A Call To Spy (order it here)

Archenemy - Starring Joe Manganiello (order it here)

Bordertown Season 2

Fear of Rain - Starring Katherine Heigl (order it here)

Harley Quinn: The Complete Second Season - Starring Kelly Cuoco, Lake Bell (order it here)

Horizon Line - Starring Allison Williams (order it here)

Lovecraft Country: The Complete First Season (order it here)

The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee (order it here)

Early Digital Release

Monster Hunter (order it here)

Week Of Tuesday February 23 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

The Croods: A New Age - Starring Nicolas Cage and Emma Stone (order it here)

Scooby-Doo: The Sword and the Scoob (order it here)

Silk Road - Starring Jeremy Clarke and Nick Robinson (order it here)

The Last Vermeer - Starring Guy Pearce (order it here)

March DVD And Blu-ray Releases

Slowly but surly, we're seeing more movement when it comes to movie releases, which gives us more movement on home releases as well. Sure, some of these big movies, like Wonder Woman 1984 were released on streaming services like HBO Max or other VOD formats, but now you don't need to wait for them to come back around on streaming and you can actually own a physical copy of the film.

In addition to films like Wonder Woman 1984, March also brings us the likes of Monster Hunter, a video game adaptation from the people who brought you the resident Evil movies, as well as a potential Oscar contender in Promising Young Woman. With the awards show delayed this year you can actually get a hold of many of the nominees at home before the show so you can watch them all. Here's everything on the way in March 2021.

Week Of Tuesday March 2 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Monster Hunter - staring Mila Jovovich (order it here)

Fatale (order it here)

Half Brothers (order it here)

Pinocchio - starring Roberto Benigni (order it here)

All My Life (order it here)

Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks (order it here)

Scare Me (order it here)

Zappa (order it here)

Early Digital Release

Promising Young Woman - starring Cary Mulligan

Week Of Tuesday March 9 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Vanguard (order it here)

Adverse (order it here)

American Skin (order it here)

IP Man: Kung Fu Master (order it here)

Riviera: Season 2 (order it here)

Early Digital Release

News of the World - starring Tom Hanks

Week Of Tuesday March 16 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Promising Young Woman - starring Cary Mulligan (order it here)

Brothers By Blood (order it here)

Dark Web: Cicada 3301 (order it here)

Des (order it here)

Don't Tell a Soul (order it here)

Money Plane (order it here)

PG: Psycho Goraman (order it here)

Sheep and Wolves: Pig Deal (order it here)

Songbird (order it here)

Early Digital Release

Wonder Woman 1984 - starring Gal Gadot, Chris Pine

Week Of Tuesday March 23 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

News of the World - starring Tom Hanks(order it here)

Breaking News In Yuba County - starring Allison Janney, Mila Kunis(order it here)

Castlevania: Season 3 (order it here)

Hero Dog: The Journey Home (order it here)

Soul - starring jamie Foxx, Tina Fey(order it here)

Soulmates, Season 1 (order it here)

The Comey Rule: Special Edition (order it here)

Undoing, The Limited Series (order it here)

Week Of Tuesday March 30 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Wonder Woman 1984 - starring Gal Gadot, Chris Pine (order it here)

Our Friend (order it here)

55 Steps (order it here)

Perfect Planet (order it here)

Another Round (order it here)

The Toll (order it here)

April DVD And Blu-ray Releases

Just when it looked like things were heading in the right direction, April really slowed down in the Blu-ray and DVD department. While we're certainly not entirely without new releases, the fact that many of the movies tyhat have come out have seen a much faster turn around to home release means that sometimes everything that's going to come out already has. Having said that, with it beginning to finally look my theaters might really reopen for good, we can be at least a little confident that things will be returning to something like normal, or whatever the new normal is, fairly soon.

The only really significant release hitting in April is the comedy Barb and Star go to Vista Del Mar. Which was a movie that, due to a lack of theatrical release, a lot of people probably didn't see, but based on the reviews, it's something everybody should probably check out, so here's the chance.

Week Of Tuesday April 6 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Earwig and the Witch (order it here)

The Reckoning (order it here)

Shadow in the Cloud (order it here)

Barb and Star go to Vista Del Mar - starring Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumalo (order it here)

Giants Being Lonely (order it here)

Son of the South (order it here)

Traces: Season One (order it here)

Week Of Tuesday April 13 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Willy's Wonderland 

Ancient Aliens: Season 13 

Week Of Tuesday April 20 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Crisis (order it here)

The Violent Heart (order it here)

Body Brokers (order it here)

The Mortuary Collection (order it here)

Early Digital Release

The Little Things - starring Denzel Washington, Jared Leto

Week Of Tuesday April 27 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Vanquish (order it here)

Golden Arm

May DVD And Blu-ray Releases

May almost feels like a normal month in home entertainment releases, since we're seeing a lot of this year;s Oscar winners get released. Of course, the fact that those awards were only given out at the end of April still makes the whole thing feel weird. However, if you'd like to check out some of the Oscar winners that you missed, or just add your favorite Academy Award nominee to your collection, you'll have a chance to do so in May, as we'll see the release of Judas the Black Messiah, The Father, Minari and more.

If Oscar winners aren't your thing, there are still a few major releases coming out in May, including Denzel Washington's The Little Things, and the live-action/animation hybrid Tom and Jerry. On the television side, you can pick up the first season of the animated Star Trek comedy Lower Decks, or you can complete your collection of Supernatural DVDs, as the final season of that series will drop at the end of the month.

Week of Tuesday May 4 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

The Little Things - starring Denzel Washington, Jared Leto (order it here)

Judas and the Black Messiah - starring Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield (order it here)

The Virtuoso - starring Anthony Hopkins (order it here)

Week of Tuesday May 11 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

The Marksman - starring Liam Neeson (order it here)

Land - starring Robin Wright, Demian Bichir (order it here)

The Mauritanian - starring Jodie Foster, Benedict Cumberbatch (order it here)

Justice Society: World War II - starring Stana Katic, Matt Bomer (order it here)

My Brother's Keeper (order it here)

Pixie - starring Olivia Cooke, Alec Baldwin (order it here)

Senior Moment - starring William Shatner, Christopher Lloyd (order it here)

Shrek (20th anniversary Ed) - starring Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy (order it here)

Week of Tuesday May 18 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Tom and Jerry - starring Chloë Grace Moretz (order it here)

Minari - starring Steven Yeun, Youn Yuh-jung (order it here)

The Father - starring Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Coleman (order it here)

Supernova - starring Colin Firth, Stanley Tucci (order it here)

The Nest - starring Jude Law, Carrie Coon (order it here)

Above Suspicion - starring Emilia Clarke (order it here)

Cosmic Sin - starring Bruce Willis, Frank Grillo (order it here)

Hunted (order it here)

Shithouse (order it here)

Son (order it here)

Star Trek: Lower Decks - Season One (order it here)

The Alienist: Angel of Darkness - starring Luke Evans, Daniel Bruhl (order it here)

The Salisbury Poisonings (order it here)

Mission: Impossible (25th Anniversary Ed.) - starring Tom Cruise (order it here)

Week of Tuesday May 25 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Chaos Walking - starring Tom Holland, Daisy Ridley (order it here)

Long Weekend - starring Finn Wittrock, Zoë Chao (order it here)

American Fighter (order it here)

Happily - starring Joel McHale (order it here)

Supernatural: The Complete Fifteenth and Final Season - starring Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles (order it here)

Supernatural: The Complete Series - starring Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles (order it here)

My Fair Lady (4K UHD) - starring Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison (order it here)

Super 8 (4K UHD) - starring Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler (order it here)

June DVD And Blu-ray Releases

Normally, at this time of year the focus of film is on the big screen as the summer movie season shifts into full swing. While "full swing" is probably a bit of a misnomer at this point, we actually are seeing new movies get released in theaters again and that means that in a few months we're going to have big movies to release on Blu-ray again.

However, we still have a few big releases hitting Blu-ray this month. The biggest Blu-ray release comes from what was previously the biggest theatrical release of the year. Godzilla vs. Kong had a solid theatrical opening a few months back, and now for those who want to own it, they'll have a chance later this month. When it comes to movies that perhaps did not see massive box office, but are worth checking out, the Bob Odenkirk-led Nobody was a solid action movie for scratching that John Wick itch.

Fans of TV looking to complete their collections should be aware that Season 2 of His Dark Materials arrives this month as does Season 1 of The Umbrella Academy. Here's everything else coming out in June.

Week Of Tuesday June 1 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

The Courier - starring Benedict Cumberbatch (order it here)

Boogie - starring Taylor Takahashi (order it here)

Embattled - starring Stephen Dorff (order it here)

Endangered Species -starring Rebecca Romijn (order it here)

Shoplifters of the World (order it here)

The Vault - starring Freddie Highmore (order it here)

The World to Come - starring katherine Waterston, Vanessa Kirby (order it here)

Trigger Point - starring Barry Pepper (order it here)

Your Honor: Season 1 - starring Bryan Cranston (order it here)

A Glitch in the Matrix (order it here)

Spare Parts (order it here)

Mommie Dearest - starring Faye Dunaway (40th anniversary Blu-ray) (order it here)

Snatch - starring Benecio Del Toro, Jason Statham (4K UHD) (order it here)

Week Of Tuesday June 8 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

City of Lies -starring Johnny Depp (order it here)

Assault on VA-33 - starring Sean Patrick Flannery (order it here)

Flashback - starring Dylan O'Brien (order it here)

Fuller House: The Fifth and Final Season - starring Candace Cameron Bure (order it here)

Macgyver: Season 4 - starring Lucas Till (order it here)

The Lovebirds - starring Kumail Nanjiani, Issa Rae (order it here)

The Unhealer - starring Natasha Henstridge, Lance Henriksen (order it here)

Zeroville - starring James Franco, Megan Fox (order it here)

Power Book II: Ghost, Season 1 (order it here)

Indiana Jones: 4 Movie Collection (4K) - starring Harrison Ford (order it here)

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (35th Anniversary) -starring Matthew Broderick (order it here)

Early Digital Release

Nobody - starring Bob Odenkirk (order it here)

Week Of Tuesday June 15 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Godzilla Vs. Kong - starring Millie Bobby Brown (order it here)

Voyagers -starring Tye Sheridan, Lily-Rose Depp (order it here)

French Exit - starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Lucas Hedges (order it here)

SAS: Red Notice - starring Ruby Rose, Andy Serkis (order it here)

Anything For Jackson (order it here)

Rock Dog 2: Rock Around the Park (order it here)

The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Season 1 (order it here)

H.P. Lovecraft's The Deep Ones (order it here)

The Great War Of Archimedes (order it here)

Week Of Tuesday June 22 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Nobody - starring Bob Odenkirk (order it here)

The Unholy - starring Jeffrey Morgan (order it here)

The Paper Tigers (order it here)

Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One -starring Jensen Ackles (order it here)

Siberia - starring Willem Dafoe (order it here)

Umbrella Academy: Season One - starring Elliott Page (order it here)

Night of the Sicario - starring Natasha Henstridge (order it here)

Week Of Tuesday June 29 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

His Dark Materials: The Complete Second Season - starring Dafne Keen (order it here)

Percy Vs. Goliath - starring Christopher Walken, Christina Ricci (order it here)

The Watch Season One (order it here)

Here are the Young Men (order it here)

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (4k UHD) - starring Gene Wilder (order it here)

Wildcat (order it here)

Early Digital Release

Wrath of Man - starring Jason Statham (order it here)

July DVD And Blu-ray Releases

Of all the things that changed regarding movie releases in 2020, the one thing that, without question will have the longest reaching repercussions, is the fact that the window between theatrical releases and home DVD release has become permanently smaller. We only really saw big theatrical film releases start back up in May, but some of those films are already on their way home. Even some that were already available at home, like Mortal Kombat, that was only released at the end of April are making the jump to Blu-ray and DVD as early as the middle of July.

Even, A Quiet Place Part II, the movie that is officially the highest grossing movie of 2021 at the moment, and was only released in theaters, will be available for fans to own only two months after its theatrical debut. Horror fans will also be able to bring home the newest entry in the Saw franchise, Spiral, with Chris Rock in the lead.

Week Of Tuesday July 6 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Defending Jacob - starring Chris Evans (order it here)

Equal Standard - starring Ice-T (order it here)

Week Of Tuesday July 13 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Mortal Kombat - starring Lewis Tan (order it here)

Wrath of Man - starring Jason Statham (order it here)

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run - starring Tom Kinney, Clancy Brown (order it here)

Separation - starring Brian Cox (order it here)

A Cinderella Story: Starstruck (order it here)

Held (order it here)

No Man's Land - starring Frank Grillo (order it here)

Pennyworth - The Complete Second Season (order it here)

The Unicorn - Season 2 - starring Walton Goggins (order it here)

Week Of Tuesday July 20 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Spiral - starring Chris Rock (order it here)

Dream Horse - starring Toni Collette, Damian Lewis (order it here)

Jakob's Wife (order it here)

Bordertown: Season 3 (order it here)

Die in a Gunfight (order it here)

Feral State (order it here)

Gangs of London - Season 1 (order it here)

Initiation (order it here)

Shameless: Complete Eleventh Season -starring William H. Macy (order it here)

Star Trek Discovery - Season 3 - starring Sonequa Martin-Green (order it here)

The Spanish Princess (order it here)

The Walking Dead: The Complete 10th Season - starring Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira (order it here)

Week Of Tuesday July 27 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

A Quiet Place Part II - starring Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy (order it here)

American Gods: Season 3 - starring Ian McShane (order it here)

Every Breath You Take - starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan (order it here)

Keeping Faith: Series 3 - starring Eve Myles (order it here)

Midnight in the Switchgrass - starring Bruce Willis, Megan Fox (order it here)

The God Committee - starring Kelsey Grammer, Julia Stiles (order it here)

Unforgotten: The Complete Fourth Season (order it here)

August DVD And Blu-ray Releases

It's August and the summer is winding down. While the "summer movie season" as we once knew certainly still wasn't quite up to the level that movie fans have been used to, there still was a summer movie season, and that's something. And in somewhat the same way, the world of DVD and Blu-ray releases looks something like the way it once did. Nearly every week in August us seeing the home entertainment release of at least one major film that was released theatrically, even if many of them were also released on streaming platforms.

August will see the DVD and Blu-ray release of three movies from Warner Bros that opened in theaters and HBO Max with Those Who Wish Me Dead opening the month, followed by The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, and then finally In The Heights. We'll also see Pixar's Luca, which wasn't released in theaters and is still available on Disney+, but if you don't have the service, or just want to be sure you own a physical copy of this one, now you can. 

Week Of Tuesday August 3 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Those Who Wish Me Dead - starring Angelina Jolie, Jon Bernthal (order it here)

Here Today - starring Billy Crystal, Tiffany Haddish (order it here)

Luca - starring Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer (order it here)

Seance - starring Suki Waterhouse (order it here)

Till Death - starring Megan Fox (order it here)

Lucky (order it here)

Week Of Tuesday August 10 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Finding You -starring Katherine McNamara (order it here)

The House Next Door: Meet The Blacks 2 - starring Mike Epps, Katt Williams (order it here)

Queen Bees - starring Ellen Burstyn, James Caan (order it here)

American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally - starring Meadow Williams, Al Pacino (order it here)

Are You Afraid of the Dark: Curse of the Shadows (order it here)

Batman: The Long Halloween Part Two - starring Jensen Ackles, Naya Rivera (order it here)

My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To (order it here)

Occupation: Rainfall (order it here)

Profile (order it here)

The Misfits - starring Pierce Brosnan (order it here)

Friday the 13: 8-movie Collection (order it here)

Early Digital Release

Black Widow

Week Of Tuesday August 17 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard - starring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson (order it here)

The Water Man - starring Rosario Dawson, Alfred Molina (order it here)

A Discovery of Witches, Season 2 -starring Matthew Goode, Teresa Palmer (order it here)

NCIS: The Eighteenth Season - starring Mark Harmon (order it here)

Riders of Justice - starring Mads Mikkelsen (order it here)

Rogue Hostage -starring Tyrese Gibson, John Malkovich (order it here)

The Rebels of PT-218 - starring Eric Roberts, Danny Trejo (order it here)

The Truffle Hunters (order it here)

Midnight Diner (order it here)

Little Q (order it here)

Shook (order it here)

Stay Out of the Attic (order it here)

Week Of Tuesday August 24 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It - starring Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga (order it here)

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway - starring James Corden (order it here)

Lansky -starring Harvey Keitel (order it here)

Berlin Station: Season 2 - starring Richard Armitage (order it here)

Chicago Fire: Season Nine - starring Jesse Spencer (order it here)

Dreambuilders (order it here)

Habit - starring Bella Thorne (order it here)

NCIS: Los Angeles: The Twelfth Season - starring Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J (order it here)

Prodigal Son: Season 2 - starring Tom Payne, Michael Sheen (order it here)

S.W.A.T.: Season 4 -starring Shemar Moore (order it here)

Week Of Tuesday August 31 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

In The Heights - starring Anthony Ramos (order it here)

Spirit Untamed - starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Julianne Moore (order it here)

12 Mighty Orphans - starring Luke Wilson (order it here)

Beasts of No Nation - starring Idris Elba (order it here)

Blue Bloods: The Eleventh Season - starring Tom Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg (order it here)

Fear the Walking Dead: Season 6 - starring Lennie James, Alycia Debnam-Corey (order it here)

Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms - starring Joel McHale (order it here)

NCIS New Orleans: The Final Season - starring Scott Bakula (order it here)

Slaxx (order it here)

The Good Doctor: Season 4 - starring Freddie Highmore (order it here)

September DVD And Blu-ray Releases

This month marks the official start of fall (which is crazy), and the summer movie season is definitely winding down. But we’ve still had plenty of big releases, and the same goes for the DVD and Blu-ray and releases this month. There’s a major film releasing on home entertainment almost every week this month, so you’ll be able to catch up on huge movies from the comfort of your own home if you didn’t get to see them in theaters (or on streaming already).

The very beginning of September marks the home entertainment release of one of Warner Bros. most anticipated films, Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Superhero fans will also be able to enjoy Black Widow on Blu-ray, and action fans should be psyched to own F9, too. And don’t miss out on the Digital release of Free Guy at the end of the month!

Week of Tuesday, September 7 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Zack Snyder's Justice League - starring Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher (order it here)

Together Together - starring Ed Helms, Patti Harrison, Rosalind Chao (order it here)

Bull: Season Five - starring Michael Weatherly (order it here)

Chicago P.D.: Season 8 - starring Jason Beghe, Jesse Lee Soffer (order it here)

SEAL Team: Season 4 - starring David Boreanaz, Max Thieriot (order it here)

Slaxx - Romane Denis, Brett Donahue (order it here)

The Gateway - starring Shea Whigham, Olivia Munn (order it here)

Young Sheldon: Season 4 - starring Iain Armitage, Zoe Perry, Lance Barber (order it here)

Early Digital Release

F9

Space Jam

Week of Tuesday, September 14 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Black Widow - starring Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh (order it here)

The Boss Baby: Family Business - starring Alec Baldwin (order it here)

Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog - starring Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard (order it here)

Mare of Easttown: An HBO Original Limited Series - starring Kate Winslet (order it here)

Zola - starring Taylour Paige, Riley Keough (order it here)

Catch the Bullet - starring Jay Pickett, Peter Facinelli (order it here)

Censor - starring Niamh Algar (order it here)

Eli Roth’s History of Horror: Season 2 - starring Eli Roth (order it here)

Magnum P.I.: Season 3 - starring Jay Hernandez (order it here)

Masquerade - starring Alyvia Alyn Lind (order it here)

Out of Death - starring Jaime King, Bruce Willis (order it here)

Early Digital Release

Shelter In Place

Week of Tuesday, September 21 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

F9 - starring Vin Diesel (order it here)

The Power - starring Rose Williams, Emma Rigby (order it here)

Violation - starring Madeleine Sims-Fewer (order it here)

Lady of the Manor - starring Melanie Lynskey (order it here)

Cruella - starring Emma Stone (order it here)

Boys from County Hell - starring Jack Rowan (order it here)

The Outsiders The Complete Novel (New 4K Restoration) (order it here)

Last Call - starring Jeremy Piven, Taryn Manning (order it here)

A Dark Foe - starring Oscar Cardenas (order it here)

Batwoman: Season 2 - starring Javicia Leslie (order it here)

Berlin Station: Season 3 - starring Richard Armitage (order it here)

I Carry You With Me - starring Armando Espitia (order it here)

Nancy Drew: Season 2 - starring Kennedy McMann (order it here)

Resident Alien: Season 1 - starring Alan Tudyk (order it here)

Sibyl - starring Virginie Efira (order it here)

The Blacklist - Season 8 - starring James Spader (order it here)

The Equalizer: Season 1 - starring Queen Latifah (order it here)

The Evil Next Door - starring Dilan Gwyn (order it here)

The Vigil - starring Dave Davis (order it here)

The Naked Spur - starring James Stewart (order it here)

The Window - starring Barbara Hale (order it here)

Week of Tuesday, September 28 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Twist - starring Raff Law, Michael Caine, Lena Headey (order it here)

Straight Time - starring Dustin Hoffman (order it here)

A Night At The Opera - starring Groucho Marx (order it here)

The Forever Purge - starring Josh Lucas, Ana de la Reguera (order it here)

Blithe Spirit - starring Dan Stevens, Leslie Mann (order it here)

Early Digital Release

Free Guy

October DVD And Blu-ray Releases

Spooky season has arrived! Horror fans are in luck with the releases of Escape Room: Tournament of Champions and The Haunting of Bly Manor. For those not so into horror but still like a good mystery thriller, this month brings us Old. If being creeped out or getting the adrenaline pumping isn't your thing, not to worry. There are a bunch of titles headed to DVD and Blu-ray this month, from action to romance.

If you missed Free Guy or The Suicide Squad in theaters, or just want to enjoy them again and again, now's your chance! As the weather cools down, grab a mug full of your favorite warm beverage, a blanket, and pop in one of these DVDs.

Week of Tuesday, October 5 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Space Jam: A New Legacy - starring LeBron James, Don Cheadle (order it here)

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions - starring Taylor Russell, Logan Miller (order it here)

Six Minutes to Midnight - starring Nigel Lindsay, Judi Dench (order it here)

Broken Diamonds - starring Ben Platt (order it here)

Clarice: Season 1 - starring Rebecca Breeds (order it here)

Fried Barry - starring Gary Green, Chanelle de Jager (order it here)

The Nevers: Season 1 Part 1 - starring Laura Donnelly (order it here)

The Stand - starring Whoopi Goldberg, Alexander Skarsgård (order it here)

Week of Tuesday, October 12 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Free Guy - starring Ryan Reynolds (order it here)

The Green Knight - starring Dev Patel (order it here)

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain - (order it here)

Black Lightning Season 4 - starring Cress Williams, Nafessa Williams (order it here)

Crime Story - starring Richard Dreyfuss, Mira Sorvino (order it here)

Survive the Game - starring Bruce Willis, Chad Michael Murray (order it here)

The Colony - starring Nora Arnezeder (order it here)

The Flash: Complete Seventh Season - starring Grant Gustin (order it here)

The Haunting of Bly Manor - starring Victoria Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen (order it here)

Wild Bill Year 1 - starring Rob Lowe (order it here)

Week of Tuesday, October 19 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Old - starring Gael García Bernal, Vicky Kripes, Rufus Sewell (order it here)

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins - starring Henry Golding (order it here)

The Protégé - starring Maggie Q, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson (order it here)

Joe Bell - starring Mark Wahlberg, Reid Miller, Connie Britton (order it here)

Honey Girls - starring Ashanti (order it here)

Injustice - starring Gillian Jacobs, Laura Bailey (order it here)

Last Man Down - starring Daniel Stisen (order it here)

Needle in a Timestack - starring Leslie Odom Jr., Cynthia Erivo, Orlando Bloom (order it here) 

No Man of God - starring Elijah Wood (order it here)

Superman & Lois: The Complete First Season - starring Tyler Hoechilin, Elizabeth Tulloch (order it here)

The Survivalist - starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, John Malkovich (order it here)

Tiger: Parts One and Two - starring Tiger Woods (order it here)

Week of Tuesday, October 26 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

The Suicide Squad - starring Idris Elba, Margot Robbie, John Cena (order it here)

Don't Breathe 2 - starring Stephen Lang (order it here)

Stillwater - starring Matt Damon (order it here)

Good Witch: Season 7 - starring Catherine Bell, James Denton (order it here)

New Amsterdam: Season 3 - starring Ryan Eggold (order it here)

On the Rocks - starring Rashida Jones, Bill Murray (order it here)

Walker: Season 1 - starring Jared Padalecki (order it here)

Warning - starring Alex Pettyfer, Alice Eve (order it here)

Skull: The Mask - starring Natallia Rodrigues, Wilton Andrade, Tristan Aronovich (order it here)

November DVD And Blu-ray Releases

Ah, it's finally November and fall is in full swing. The leaves are changing, the air is crisp, and movie nights in are just what we need as we anticipate the holiday season. Those who aren't quite ready to let go of Halloween can enjoy the home releases of Malignant and Saint Maud. Adventure lovers can finally bring home Jungle Cruise for the entire family to enjoy again and again. 

For TV fans, November brings us the DVD releases of Mom Season 8, Emily in Paris Season 1, and Pose Season 3, to name a few.

Week of Tuesday, November 2 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Paw Patrol: The Movie - starring Iain Armitage (order it here)

Pig - starring Nicolas Cage (order it here)

Come True - starring Julia Sarah Stone (order it here)

Kung Fu: The Complete First Season - starring Olivia Liang (order it here)

Mom: Season 8 - starring Allison Janney (order it here)

Nine Days - starring Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz (order it here)

The Banishing - starring Jessica Brown Findlay (order it here)

The Crown: Season 4 - starring Olivia Colman (order it here)

Zone 414 - starring Guy Pearce (order it here) 

Week of Tuesday, November 9 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Respect - starring Jennifer Hudson (order it here)

Reminiscence - starring Hugh Jackman (order it here)

Four Good Days - starring Mila Kunis (order it here)

The Addams Family - starring  Anjelica Huston (order it here)

The Outsiders: The Complete Novel - starring Matt Dillon (order it here)

My Salinger Year - starring Margaret Qualley (order it here)

A Christmas Gift from Bob - starring Luke Treadaway (order it here)

Ancient Aliens: Season 14 - starring Giorgio A. Tsoukalos (order it here)

Coming Home in the Dark - starring Daniel Gillies (order it here)

Emily in Paris: Season 1 - starring Lily Collins (order it here)

Younger: The Complete Series - starring Sutton Foster (order it here)

DC's Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Sixth Season - starring Caity Lotz (order it here)

Old Henry - starring Tim Blake Nelson (order it here)

L.A. Story - starring Steve Martin (order it here)

The Emperor's Sword - starring Zhang Yingli (order it here)

Saved by the Bell: Season 1 - starring Haskiri Velazquez (order it here)

Snowpiercer: The Complete Second Season - starring Jennifer Connelly, Daveed Diggs (order it here)

Surge - starring Ben Whishaw (order it here)

Great White - starring Katrina Bowden (stream it here)

Tina - starring Tina Turner, Angela Bassett (order it here)

The Guns of Navarone - starring Gregory Peck (order it here)

Witch Hunt - starring Gideon Adlon (order it here)

Swan Song - starring Udo Kier (order it here)

Great White - starring Katrina Bowden, Aaron Jakubenko (order it here)

Week of Tuesday, November 16 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Jungle Cruise - starring Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt (order it here)

The Evil Dead: Groovy Collection - starring Bruce Campbell (order it here)

Marvel's Spidey and his Amazing Friends - starring Benjamin Valic (order it here)

Mad Max Anthology - starring Mel Gibson (order it here)

Middle Earth Ultimate Collector's Edition - starring Elijah Wood (order it here)

Candyman - starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (order it here)

Caveat - starring Ben Caplan (order it here)

Flag Day - starring Sean Penn (order it here)

Kevin Can F**k Himself: Season 1 - starring Annie Murphy (order it here)

Never Back Down: Revolt - starring Olivia Popica (order it here)

Our Ladies - starring Eve Austin, Tallulah Greive (order it here)

Pose: The Complete Season 3 - starring MJ Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson (order it here)

Prisoners of the Ghostland - starring Nicolas Cage (order it here)

Queen of the South: The Complete Season 5 - starring Alice Braga (order it here)

This Is Us: The Complete Season 5 - starring Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore (order it here)

Yakuza Princess - starring  Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Masumi (order it here)

Week of Tuesday, November 23 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Boiling Point - starring Stephen Graham (order it here)

American Night - starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers (order it here)

Raging Fire - starring Donnie Yen (order it here)

The Eight Hundred - starring Wang Qian-Yuan (order it here)

The Show - starring Tom Burke (order it here)

Apache Junction - starring Thomas Jane (order it here)

Planes, Trains and Automobiles - starring Steve Martin (order it here)

Week of Tuesday, November 30 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Malignant - starring Annabelle Wallis (order it here)

Saint Maud - starring Morfydd Clark (order it here)

Reds: 40th Anniversary - starring Warren Beatty (order it here)

Heaven Can Wait - starring Warren Beatty (order it here) 

Castle Falls (December 3) - starring Dolph Lundgren, Scott Adkins (streaming on Amazon)

Silent Night (December 3) - starring Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode (streaming on AMC+)

December DVD And Blu-ray Releases

Finally, it's the most wonderful time of the year! With new holiday movies in full swing, it can be easy to forget about this month's DVD releases, but there are some huge blockbusters coming to home video you don't want to miss out on. Titles include the film adaptation of the Broadway sensation Dear Evan Hansen, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and No Time To Die.

Netflix hit The Mitchells vs. The Machines becomes available to purchase this month, and although subscribers can always stream it, fans will want to get their hands on the Blu-ray or DVD for the filmmakers' commentary track and deleted scenes. Happy viewing and happy holidays!

Week of Tuesday, December 7 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Dear Evan Hansen - starring Ben Platt (order it here)

Cry Macho - starring Clint Eastwood (order it here)

Copshop - starring Gerard Butler, Frank Grillo (order it here)

The Girl Who Believes In Miracles - starring Mira Sorvino (order it here)

Werewolves Within - starring Sam Richardson (order it here)

13 Minutes - starring Trace Adkins (order it here)

Broadcast Signal Intrusion - starring Harry Shum Jr. (order it here)

Call the Midwife: Season 10 - starring Helen George, Jenny Agutter (order it here)

Creepshow: Season 2 - starring Hannah Fierman, Kara Kimmer (order it here)

God's Not Dead: We the People - starring David A.R. White, Isaiah Washington (order it here)

Last Shoot Out - starring Jay Pickett (order it here)

One Night in Miami... - starring Kingsley Ben-Adir (order it here)

Rick and Morty: Season 5 - starring Justin Roiland, Chris Parnell (order it here)

The Jesus Music - starring Amy Grant (order it here)

Surge - starring Ben Whishaw (order it here)

Week of Tuesday, December 14 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

Venom: Let There Be Carnage - starring Tom Hardy (order it here)

The Card Counter - starring Oscar Isaac (order it here)

The Waltons' Homecoming - starring Bellamy Young (order it here)

Dangerous - starring Scott Eastwood (order it here)

Holler - starring Jessica Barden (order it here)

Language Lessons - starring Natalie Morales (order it here)

Manifest: Season 3 - starring Melissa Roxburgh (order it here)

South of Heaven - starring Jason Sudeikis (order it here)

The Auschwitz Report - starring Noel Czuczor (order it here)

The Mitchells Vs. the Machines - starring Abbi Jacobson (order it here)

Vengeance Is Mine - starring Con O'Neill, Sarah Jane Potts (order it here)

Week of Tuesday, December 21 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

No Time to Die - starring Daniel Craig (order it here)

Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train - starring Natsuki Hanae (order it here)

The Many Saints of Newark - starring Alessandro Nivola (order it here)

Blue Bayou - starring Justin Chon (order it here)

Fortress - starring Jesse Metcalfe, Bruce Willis (order it here)

Hell Hath No Fury - starring Nina Bergman (order it here)

Hard Luck Love Song - starring Michael Dorman, Sophia Bush (order it here)

Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness - Season 1 - starring Jona Xiao, Kellen Goff (order it here)

Small Engine Repair - starring Jon Bernthal, Shea Whigham (order it here)

Week of Tuesday, December 28 DVD, Digital And Blu-ray Releases

The French Dispatch - starring Benicio del Toro, Timothée Chalamet (order it here)

Castle Falls - starring Dolph Lundgren, Scott Adkins (order it here)

Mayday - starring Grace Van Patten, Mia Goth (order it here)

Ryan Reynolds is a busy man. The Deadpool actor keeps himself busy with his commitments to the Merc with a Mouth, but he's also lent his talents to several other high-profile movies of late, including Detective Pikachu and 6 Underground, most recently. Next, the actor will star in the new blockbuster, Free Guy, and he's got a few more sequels in store, as well as a few original projects as well. But these films are all in various stages of development, with a few only being announced right now.

It's also hard to know which of these projects will remain impacted by delays and other setbacks and woes related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In any case, Reynolds certainly has a fine number of projects in the works. Let's see what's in store for Mr. Reynolds.

The Croods: A New Age - December 23rd, 2020 (In Production)

As this article will show, Ryan Reynolds has quite a few sequels waiting for him (or potentially waiting for him) in the near future. While The Croods isn't the movie that audiences commonly associate with the A-lister, Reynolds played a prominent role in the original 2013 Dreamworks Animation family film. Now, alongside Nicolas Cage, Catherine Keener, and Emma Stone, Reynolds returns to the voice booth for this animated sequel.

At the moment, the sequel is considered "in production," though it's expected to come out on December 23rd — just in time for the holiday season. Alas, with no promotional materials to date, it's hard to believe this 2020 release will be etched in stone. But right now, The Croods: A New Age hasn't moved its release date. Similar to Trolls World Tour, this sequel could end up being a VOD exclusive.

Free Guy - August 13, 2021 (Post-Production)

Up next, Ryan Reynolds stars in Free Guy, an original action-comedy which sees the actor playing a non-player character (NPC) in a game called Free City (a mix of Grand Theft Auto and Fortnite) who becomes aware of his place in a video game and takes it upon himself to be the hero instead. This is certainly a very fun premise, and the trailers showcase Reynolds' signature goofy humor in this cartoony world.

Hopefully, this new comedy, which isn't dissimilar to Wreck-It Ralph, will serve as another fun starring vehicle for the comedic performer. Certainly, Reynolds hasn't been shy about how much he liked making this movie, which should hopefully be a sign of confidence. Originally slated for release on July 3, 2020, Free Guy has been pushed back to August 13, 2021, and there's no guarantee right now that this release date will stick.

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard - August 20th, 2021 (Post-Production)

The Hitman's Bodyguard became an unlikely hit when it premiered in 2017. While it was met with tepid reviews, it became a box office hit, earning a crowd in no small part thanks to the high energy chemistry shared between Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds. Thus, a sequel is on its way.

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard once again stars Jackson, Reynolds, and Salma Hayek, as well as Frank Grillo, Richard E. Grant, Antonio Banderas, and Morgan Freeman. The sequel was filmed last year and it was expected to hit theaters on August 28th, but COVID-19 prevented the studio from making that release date happen. Now, it's set to be released on August 20th, 2021, a week shy of a year later. That's a long while to wait, though with theaters in an unsure state right now, it's an understandable one.

Red Notice - TBA 2021 (Filming)

Next year, Ryan Reynolds reunites with Netflix for a new action blockbuster, Red Notice. This new action-comedy-thriller also stars Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot and sees Reynolds playing the world's greatest con-man who is being hunted down an INTERPOL agent (Johnson), who happens to be the world's greatest tracker. Whether or not the movie itself will be great is still undetermined.

Production started in January but it was halted in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic throughout Italy, which is where filming was expected to continue following its initial Georgia shoot. Filming was then expected to resume in September, though Johnson tested positive for COVID-19. Therefore, it's now unclear when the production will begin again. Currently, Red Notice is expected to premiere on Netflix sometime in 2021. Probably late 2021 to match last year's 6 Underground's release. But with all these delays, that's uncertain.

Untitled Ryan Reynolds/John Krasinski Film - November 17, 2023 (Announced) 

Ryan Reynolds is set to star alongside Jack Ryan's John Krasinski in a movie that's described as a "fantastical comedy." According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter from October 2019, Paramount was in a bidding war to acquire the movie, which would not only star Ryan Reynolds, but would also star John Krasinski, who's writing, directing and producing the film. The story follows a man who can see people's (sometimes forgotten) imaginary friends and interact with them. Forgotten imaginary friends apparently sometimes turn evil, which leaves Ryan Reynolds' character the task of trying to protect the world from them. In THR's report, the movie was aptly titled Imaginary Friends, however that may not be the title anymore. In April 2021, when Paramount announced the November 17, 2023 theatrical release date for the film, its current status appears to be "untitled." So stay tuned for more updates on this one.

Untitled Netflix Time Travel Project - TBA (Pre-Production)

Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy really enjoy each other's company, it seems. The actor and director worked on this year's Free Guy and now they're set to reunite for an upcoming untitled time travel movie for Netflix. Once called Our Name Is Adam, this new movie would supposedly follow two men named Adam who unite for reasons unknown. It's an intriguing premise, and it's easy to see how Reynolds could have fun working off himself.

Their involvement in this movie only came to light earlier this year, and they're still putting the final touches on Free Guy, it would appear, so we might not get this movie for a little bit. And that's not taking into account restrictions imposed by COVID-19, which might prevent cameras from rolling for this movie. In any case, Levy and Reynolds clearly are eager to work together again.

Everyday Parenting Tips - TBA (Pre-Production)

For my money, Simon Rich is one of the best screenwriters working today. His high concept comedy mixed with warm emotional sincerity makes for a highly enjoyable mix, as seen in Man Seeking Woman, Miracle Workers, and, most recently, An American Pickle. Next, he'll bring his New Yorker short story, "Everyday Parenting Tips," to the screen with the help of Ryan Reynolds and producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller.

This new comedy will see what it is like to try to incorporate parental guidance during a monster upbringing. It's an entertaining premise, and it's one that Reynolds could play up well. To make things even better, it's set to be directed by Paul King (Paddington). These are a great group of collaborators. Hopefully, this new comedy will come together in fine fashion. Though, right now, it's currently in the very early stages of development.

Clue Remake - TBA (Pre-Production)

1985's Clue is one of the rare board game movies that actually works. Therefore, it might be a bit foolhardy to try to recreate that success. But hey, that hasn't stopped Hollywood before. Over the past few years, there have been at least a few attempts to bring Clue back to the big screen. Nothing has come into fruition, thus far, at least, but this latest push might actually move forward.

Ryan Reynolds has been attached to the film since at least 2018, and he brought on his reliable Deadpool screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick to shape up the screenplay. At one point, Jason Bateman was set to star and direct the film, though he has since dropped out. Now, James Bobin (2011's The Muppets) is signed on to direct this board game remake, and he's currently in the midst of shaping it up.

Christmas Carol - TBA (Pre-Production)

There have been dozens of adaptations (movie or otherwise) of Charles Dickens' classic 1843 novel A Christmas Carol throughout the years, but how many of them star Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell? None. Until now (potentially).

Nearly one year ago, Ferrell and Reynolds signed on to star in a new take on the timeless holiday tale, though it's unclear what roles they'll play in this retelling. Is Ferrell playing Scrooge? Is Reynolds playing Bob Cratchit? Visa versa? Neither? Details have been kept secret for the time being, though it's set to be directed by Sean Anders and John Morris, who previously helmed Daddy's Home. With their involvement, along with Ferrell and Reynolds, one assumes this version will be more comedic in nature. But it has also been revealed that it'll be a musical. Sounds like jolly good tidings! Currently, it's believed to be in pre-production.

Deadpool 3 - TBA (Announced)

When it comes to Ryan Reynolds' future, the million-dollar question is centered around Deadpool 3. It's no secret that these movies were enormously successful for the actor/producer, and he's heavily involved with both installments. But when Fox merged with Disney, the future for this foul-mouthed character was left uncertain.

While Disney claims they'll keep Deadpool as he is, it's hard to believe that they'll leave the character as he is now. And it is hard to imagine the fans being eager to see a Deadpool movie where he isn't true to himself. If the plan is to put Deadpool inside the MCU, it would be even harder to imagine the character being integrated into this wide audience cinematic universe without some serve changes to his crass ways. It's with that in mind that Deadpool 3 is currently a big shrug, though it's certainly been discussed.

Detective Pikachu 2 - TBA (Rumored)

While he wasn't the casting choice that some folks expected when the project was announced, Ryan Reynolds provided an appealing performance in the title role of Detective Pikachu, allowing his prominent grown man voice to play well against the character's adorably fuzzy appearance. As the first live-action Pokémon blockbuster, Detective Pikachu was an intriguing experiment to see if film audiences young and older would go to the theater to see their favorite characters on the big screen. At least domestically, however, the movie didn't meet his expectations — though it did well enough overseas that the possibility of a sequel isn't unreasonable.

Talk of a sequel has circulated since the original's release, though it hasn't been greenlit or possibly even discussed with any serious intention. Certainly, with a universe as expansive as Pokémon, you'd like to see a sequel. But nothing is official yet.

6 Underground 2? (Speculated)

Now, this one is purely speculative. At the moment, there are no confirmed plans — or even concrete rumors — about Netflix greenlighting a sequel to Michael Bay's 6 Underground, which was released this past December. But when he was asked if he would do a sequel to the streaming blockbuster, Reynolds didn't hesitate to say that he'd love to work with everyone involved for another rodeo.

While he would be "thrilled" if it came together, there's nothing set up at the moment — so far as we can tell. Even if it does end up happening, it'll take a few years, at least, for it to come together. It's not a guarantee that Bay will be involved. But it sounds like something Reynolds has given at least a passing thought, and it sounds like he will jump at the chance to do it.

Which Ryan Reynolds movie (or potential Ryan Reynolds movie) are you looking forward to the most? Please let us know in the comment section below!

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is one of the many films that fans are looking forward to seeing on the big screen once theaters open up again. We have yet to see footage from the upcoming sequel, but Salma Hayek has now released the first official poster, which features her alongside stars Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson. Unfortunately, the one-sheet comes with a bit of disappointing news for fans.

Salma Hayek released the cool new poster for The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard on her Instagram page but, in a caption, she also confirmed that the film has been pushed back to 2021. She also voiced her displeasure with the postponement, as she’s eager to share it with moviegoers. Check it out for yourself down below:

With Salma Hayek’s Sonia Kincaid poised to take on a bigger role in this follow-up to 2017's The Hitman’s Bodyguard, one can see why she would be disappointed. And you can only imagine how much fun it’ll be to see her, Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds reunite.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard was originally announced in 2018 and began production in Europe in the spring of 2019. The film was originally set to be released on August 28, 2020 before being shifted to its new release date, August 20, 2021.The movie will focus on the continued adventures of bodyguard Michael Bryce and assassin Darius Kincaid, as they both seek to protect Kincaid’s wife from a new threat.

While the news is sure to come as a letdown for fans of this budding franchise, news of the delay isn’t surprising. Most know by now that just about every major studio film set for release in 2020 has been moved back. Even another of Salma Hayek’s projects, Marvel’s The Eternals, was shifted from November 2020 to February 2021.

The change in release plans for Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard don’t appear to have been met with much opposition thus far, but that hasn’t exactly been the case for every 2020 blockbuster that’s been delayed. Warner Bros.' Tenet, which is expected to draw audiences back to the theaters, has had to move its release date a few times. And believe it or not, this apparently drew some opposition from director Christopher Nolan.

Regardless of how you feel about The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard and other movies being delayed, the moves are understandable. Because of how much money these massive films are poised to make, studios want to put them in the best positions to be successful, and Lionsgate is clearly aiming to do that with this film.

The wait to see Salma Hayek, Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson all together again may have just gotten longer, but devoted fans of the franchise should be able to wait things out.

Keep it here at CinemaBlend for more updates on film and TV delays as they arrive.

We’ve known for a while now that Salma Hayek would be returning to The Hitman’s Bodyguard universe for the impending sequel, and this week the actress gave us a fun glimpse at her character in the new movie, Sonia Kincaid. But we don’t just get to see the actress; instead, we also get a look at her tattoo for the movie.

Lest you think this were Salma Hayek’s personal tattoo, the actress makes it very clear in her “sneak peek” at the new look that this isn’t her own body adornment.

There are a few locations on a woman’s body where she would be able to hide a secret tattoo, but for The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, it’s going directly on her breast. The tattoo belonging to her character Sonia Kincaid looks to be a bird of prey.

The image has been exceedingly popular on Instagram, where it has racked up more than 354 thousand likes.

In the 2017 movie, Salma Hayek also played Sonia Kincaid, who happens to be the wife of Samuel L. Jackson’s Darius Kincaid. Sonia is a major catalyst in the first movie, as Darius only agrees to testify as part of a deal that will allow his wife to be released from prison. She ultimately -- and spoiler -- gets out of prison at the end of the movie, assumedly leading to a series of events that will allow a sequel to make sense.

In the upcoming The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, the new movie will again bring back the original cast members, as well as add a few new faces for a story that will be set in the Amalfi coast. (Because if you are doing a sequel, why not set it in a beautiful place?) Antonio Banderas, Frank Grillo, Morgan Freeman and Tom Hopper have all joined the franchise for the new movie.

Other filming locations include Bulgaria and Croatia for the new sequel.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard was confirmed to be filming by Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds earlier this spring and a few weeks later, Ryan Reynolds also mentioned he had wrapped on the flick.

Salma Hayek has also shared other stuff from the set of The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.

Unfortunately, there’s still going to be a little bit of time for the flick to undergo the editing process. The movie isn’t slated for release until 2020, but while we wait, be sure to take a look at our full 2019 movies schedule.

You can also catch Ryan Reynolds, or at least his voice, coming up in Detective Pikachu, which hits theaters in May. Samuel L. Jackson will next star in the big summer release Shaft, unless he pops up in Avengers: Endgame, which kicks off it's preview night tonight. And Salma Hayek can currently be seen in Drunk Parents.

We’re only two films in to Samuel L. Jackson’s especially stacked 2019 and the prolific actor is already hard at work making sure he’ll be lighting up the silver screen for years to come. In 2020, the actor will star in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, the sequel to the 2017 action-comedy The Hitman’s Bodyguard, which starred Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds. Now, the busy actor has confirmed The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is finally in production. Take a look:

This image confirms The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is now in production and shooting in Croatia, the European country where Game of Thrones spent so much time and that also served as Canto Bight in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. It may technically be work, but as you can see from Samuel L. Jackson’s Instagram photos, the picturesque country on the Adriatic Sea is lovely and definitely not a bad place to be filming a fun action movie.

Croatia won’t be the only place The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard shoots though. The sequel will also be filming in London and Italy, giving the action sequel even more international, European flavor after the first film shot in London, The Netherlands and Bulgaria. Ryan Reynolds’ Michael Bryce and Samuel L. Jackson’s Darius Kincaid won’t just be sightseeing or going on a vacation in Europe, they’ll actually be trying to save it.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard will find Michael Bryce attempting to live a peaceful life after the events in the last film where notorious hitman Darius Kincaid and his wife, Salma Hayek’s Sonia, drag him in to their mission to cause chaos on Italy’s Amalfi Coast that is somehow meant to help save Europe. Needless to say, Ryan Reynolds’ character will once again find himself with a difficult job and even more difficult clients.

The first Hitman’s Bodyguard earned $176.6 million worldwide back in 2017, sitting atop the domestic box office for three straight weeks from August to early September. On a modest $30 million budget, that made it a big enough of a hit to warrant a sequel, a sequel that looks to be upping the ante by putting together an impressive cast.

In addition to the delightful returning cast of Samuel L. Jackson, Ryan Reynolds, Salma Hayek and Richard E. Grant, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard will also star Antonio Banderas, Frank Grillo and, in his first ever film with Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman. The sequel also recently added Tom Hopper, who you may know from Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, Starz’ Black Sails or as the riotously named Dickon Tarly in Game of Thrones.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is expected to arrive in theaters in 2020. There’s plenty to see before then though and you can check it all out in our 2019 release schedule. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all the latest movie news.

What do you get when you put Wade Wilson and Nick Fury (or at least the guys who play them) in a movie together? In the case of The Hitman's Bodyguard, you get a buddy movie that capitalizes on the comedy and action chops of Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson. The film proved itself as an unexpected success when it debuted on the tail end of last summer, and now it looks like Lionsgate intends to return to that universe with a sequel called The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard.

Though details remain sparse at this point, it looks like a sequel to The Hitman's Bodyguard is definitely in development. According to the announcement made at the Cannes Film Festival, the sequel will be called The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, and a script is currently in development. Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds are not confirmed to return to their respective roles, but it would make plenty of sense to see them come back, considering the first film's open-ended conclusion that paved the way for a buddy movie franchise. Moreover, the title of the sequel seemingly suggests that the follow-up will focus more heavily on Salma Hayek's Sonia Kincaid (the wife of Jackson's Darius Kincaid), so it seems logical that many of the original players could return.

Of course, we will have to wait and see what other characters get introduced into the equation. The title seemingly implies that Sonia Kincaid will get a bodyguard, but it doesn't confirm if that bodyguard will be Ryan Reynolds' smartass bodyguard Michael Bryce or an entirely new character. If it is Bryce, then we can reasonably expect to see more of the same good cop bad cop antics that made the first film resonate with audiences. Per the THR report about the sequel, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard has been described as "The Good. The Bad. And the Batshit cray," so it sounds like pretty much anything is possible and all bets are off this time around.

It's arguably not that surprising to learn that there are plans for a sequel to The Hitman's Bodyguard. Despite not taking inspiration from any known source material or franchise property, the original did some great work at the box office when it debuted in August 2017 and dominated number one spot for three consecutive weeks. In fact, it made $177 million worldwide against a relatively-lean $30 million budget, so diving back into that creative well makes a certain degree of sense.

CinemaBlend will bring you more information related to The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard as more details about the film are made available to us. The sequel to The Hitman's Bodyguard does not have a set release date yet, but for now, you can check out our 2018 movie premiere guide to keep yourself in-the-loop on all this year's films that currently do.