The sequel to the 2017 film The Hitman’s Bodyguard, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, casts veteran actors Richard E. Grant and Antonio Banderas. In 2019, Grant received an Oscar nomination for his supporting performance in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, while Banderas received a 2018 Golden Globe nomination for portraying Pablo Picasso in National Geographic’s Genius.
Directed by Australian filmmaker Patrick Hughes, The Hitman’s Bodyguard stars Ryan Reynolds as the titular character Michael Bryce. The action-comedy was produced for an estimated $30-69 million and earned over $175 million at the box office. In the original film, Samuel L. Jackson co-stars as the hitman Darius Kincaid, and Salma Hayek plays his wife. Last May, a sequel was announced with the original cast in tact. In March, Frank Grillo was cast in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard as an Interpol agent, and Morgan Freeman joined the lineup soon after. Filming began this month for The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, and production will take place in Italy, Bulgaria, Scotland and the United Kingdom.
Per Millennium Films, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard has added both Grant and Banderas to the main cast. In the sequel, Grant will reprise his role as Mr. Seifert, a corporate drug addict. Meanwhile, no details have been revealed about Banderas’ role. In 1995, the Spanish actor co-starred with the aforementioned Hayek in Robert Rodriguez’s Desperado, thus making The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard a reunion between him and the Oscar-nominated Mexican actress. In 1982, Banderas made his feature debut in Labyrinth of Passion, thus marking the beginning of his collaborations with iconic Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar.
As for Grant, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is the latest film in the actor’s late-career resurgence. The 61-year-old Swazi-English actor delivered one of the great debut performances in the 1987 British cult classic Withnail and I, and he’s maintained a steady career in TV and feature films ever since. While younger moviegoers may be familiar with Grant’s big screen roles in Jackie and Logan, along with his portrayal of Izembaro in Game of Thrones, the actor’s co-starring role opposite Melissa McCarthy in Can You Ever Forgive Me? re-introduced him to various demographics. In 2018, Grant portrayed Shiver in the fantasy adventure film The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, and he’s part of J.J. Abrams’ upcoming film Star Wars: Episode IX.
In the twilight of his career, Grant is becoming a household name. As a result, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard will have some extra pre-release buzz.
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Source: Millennium Films
