Preview:
- The first trailer for ‘Nobody 2’ has arrived.
- Bob Odenkirk returns as harried former assassin Hutch Mansell.
- Timo Tjahjanto is directing this time.
Back before 2021’s ‘Nobody’ punched, kicked, shot and exploded its way on to screens, few would have expected Bob Odenkirk, best known for his comedy days and his sterling work in ‘Breaking Bad’ and its prequel series based around his slippery lawyer character, ‘Better Call Saul’ would turn out to be a fun action hero.
Even in an era when the genre has expanded to include Liam Neeson –– who went from normally more sedate dramas to the ass-kicking world of ‘Taken’ and beyond –– Odenkirk seemed like he might not fit into that mold.
Yet fit he has, playing former assassin Hutch Mansell, a simmering cauldron of rage and with his own particular set of skills (mostly violent) unleashed to protect himself and his family.
(L to R) Brady Mansell (Gage Munroe), Sammy Mansell (Paisley Cadorath), Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk), David Mansell (Christopher Lloyd) and Becca Mansell (Connie Nielsen) in ‘Nobody 2’, directed by Timo Tjahjanto. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Produced by accomplished stunt coordinator-turned-filmmaker David Leitch and producer partner Kelly McCormick via their 87North company, ‘Nobody’ was directed by ‘Hardcore Henry’s Ilya Naishuller.
And since the movie was a success (more than $57 million on a $16 million budget), we’re naturally seeing the sequel headed our way.
‘Nobody 2’ takes a somewhat familiar track of taking the basic concept of the original movie and slightly adjusting its setting, this time sending Hutch and co. off on vacation where –– who’d a thunk it? –– there are yet more opportunities for our put-upon main man to dish out much pain and suffering upon those who would threaten him (and take some pain of his own).
Borrowing heavily from ‘National Lampoon’s Vacation’ (including Lindsey Buckingham’s familiar “Holiday Road” tune) and seeming for all the world like a 1980s comedy with a violent action movie dropped in the middle of it, ‘Nobody 2’ is certainly aiming for a similar blend of laughs and stunts as the original.
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What was the story of ‘Nobody’?
Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell in ‘Nobody 2’, directed by Timo Tjahjanto. Photo: Universal Pictures.
‘Nobody’ saw Odenkirk as Mansell, an underestimated and overlooked dad and husband, taking life’s indignities on the chin and never pushing back. A nobody.
When two thieves break into his suburban home one night, Hutch declines to defend himself or his family, hoping to prevent serious violence. His teenage son, Blake (Gage Munroe), is disappointed in him and his wife, Becca (Connie Nielsen), seems to pull only further away.
The aftermath of the incident strikes a match to Hutch’s long-simmering rage, triggering dormant instincts and propelling him on a brutal path that will surface dark secrets and lethal skills. In a barrage of fists, gunfire and squealing tires, Hutch must save his family from a dangerous adversary.
What’s the story of ‘Nobody 2’?
(L to R) Bob Odenkirk and director Timo Tjahjanto on the set of ‘Nobody 2’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Four years after he inadvertently took on the Russian mob, Hutch remains $30 million in debt to the criminal organization and is working it off with an unending string of hits on international thugs.
Much as he likes the slam-bang action of his “job,” Hutch and Becca find themselves overworked and drifting apart. So, they decide to pack the kids on a short getaway to Wild Bill’s Majestic Midway and Waterpark, the one and only place where Hutch and his brother Harry (RZA) went on a vacation as kids.
With Hutch’s dad (a returning Christopher Lloyd) in tow, the family arrives in the small tourist town of Plummerville (“Plummerville is Summerville!”) eager for some fun in the sun.
But when a minor encounter with some town bullies yanks the family into the crosshairs of a corrupt theme-park operator (John Ortiz) and his shady sheriff (Colin Hanks), Hutch finds himself the focus of the most unhinged, blood-thirsty crime boss he (or anyone) has ever encountered (Sharon Stone).
Sharon Stone as Lendina in ‘Nobody 2’, directed by Timo Tjahjanto. Photo: Universal Pictures.
‘John Wick’ writer Derek Kolstad, who wrote the first movie, is back scripting here too, working this time alongside ‘Jack Ryan’ TV veteran Aaron Rabin, from a story Kolstad crafted.
Behind the camera this time is Timo Tjahjanto, who got his start directing ‘V/H/S/2’ segment ‘Safe Haven’ alongside Gareth Evans.
He went on to direct the ‘The Night Comes for Us’ and ‘May the Devil Take You’, both of which are lurking on Netflix.
He certainly feels like the right person for this gig, based on the evidence of the trailer.
When will ‘Nobody 2’ be in theaters?
Universal has slotted ‘Nobody 2’ into an August 15th release date, which should place it squarely in the summer, when everyone is thinking about (or on) vacation already!
Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell in ‘Nobody 2’, directed by Timo Tjahjanto. Photo: Universal Pictures.
