Most recently, actor and comedian Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”) surprised everyone by announcing that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of action grandpa Liam Neeson after making his late action film debut with “Nobody” (via Deadline):
“I was very surprised by Nobody. I had initiated that project because I had a feeling that the character I was developing in Better Call Saul was the kind of character you see in an action film. He has earnest desires and he was willing to sacrifice himself…I still train multiple times a week and if I get my way you’re going to see me doing more action.”
No sooner said than done: the 61-year-old’s next action project was announced at the beginning of the year. “Normal” will reunite Odenkirk with screenwriter Derek Kolstad, who not only wrote “Nobody”, but also the first three “John Wick” films. Under action veteran Ben Wheatley (“Meg 2 – The Deep”), Odenkirk will play an interim sheriff who soon discovers that the supposedly sleepy little town he is supposed to look after is knee-deep in obscure machinations. Anything but normal.
But what should interest action fans and fans of Bob Odenkirk much more is the current status of “Nobody 2“. Producer David Leitch (“Bullet Train”) last confirmed in 2022 that all the stars would be returning for the sequel, including Christopher Lloyd, RZA and Connie Nielsen as well as Odenkirk. But that was a whole two years ago. There has been no sign of life since then. In today’s short-lived times, that’s usually a bad sign. But fans can now breathe a sigh of relief: Universal Pictures has not only announced a US cinema release date of August 15, 2025 (via Variety), but has also named a new director. Kolstad is once again responsible for the screenplay, this time supported by Umair Aleem (“Kate”) and lead actor Odenkirk.
Fancy a quirky action comedy from the team that brought you “The Bourne Identity”? Then take a look at the trailer for “The Instigators” with Matt Damon and Casey Affleck:
“Nobody 2”: Director Timo Tjahjanto is a promising choice
“Nobody” was directed by Russian filmmaker Ilya Viktorovich Naishuller, who recommended himself with his unusual action film “Hardcore”, which takes place entirely from a first-person perspective. It is apparently the wish of those responsible to turn the “Nobody” films into a playground for creative action directors. Indonesian filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto is responsible for the sequel this time.
If the name doesn’t ring a bell, then perhaps the uncompromisingly tough action carnage “The Night Comes for Us” starring Joe Taslim (“Mortal Kombat”) and Iko Uwais (“The Raid”) will. Apart from “Project Wolf Hunting”, there has probably been no action film in recent years that is closer to the splatter genre. However, “The Night Comes for Us” is by no means a mindless sequence of bloody scenes, but breathtakingly staged action cinema in a class of its own. With Tjahjanto in the director’s chair, the audience can look forward to a “Nobody 2” that will massively up the action and level of violence of the first part. If no limits are imposed on him, John Wick will be able to dress warmly. Filming is set to begin in August this year.