Ever since Liam Neeson’s success in “Taken” — he was a simple man with “a particular set of skills” — the number of retreads that resulted from it has become numbingly repetitive. You can make a good case that “Taken” has been the most influential, not to mention most copied, movie of the last 15 years.
The proof is in the pudding: middle-aged actors who have attempted to be one-man killing machines since “Taken” include Bruce Willis (“Death Wish”), Ben Affleck (“The Accountant”) Denzel Washington (“The Equalizer”) Sean Penn (“The Gunman”), Kevin Costner (“3 Days to Kill”) and, most successfully, Keanu Reeves (“John Wick”).
With that said, here’s one of the better copycats.
Bob Odenkirk returns as Hutch Mansell in “Nobody 2,” the sequel to the 2021 action-thriller is set for release on August 15, 2025. A splashy trailer has been released for film. Directed by Indonesian filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto, known for his work on “The Night Comes for Us,” the sequel seems to have a fresh visual style, moving away from the drab, industrial aesthetics of the original to a more vibrant and summery palette.
The screenplay, co-written by Derek Kolstad, Aaron Rabin, Umair Aleem, and Odenkirk himself, continues Hutch’s journey as a former assassin pulled back into violence when his family is threatened during a vacation.
The sequel expands its cast with notable additions. Sharon Stone steps into the role of the main antagonist, a crime boss named Lendina, described as an “alpha female” — are we seriously still using that term? Returning cast members include Connie Nielsen as Hutch’s wife Becca, Christopher Lloyd as his father David, and RZA as his brother. Newcomers such as Colin Hanks, John Ortiz, and McKenna Grace join the ensemble.
“Taken” launched an action subgenre. The “Nobody” franchise seems to be following the same formula: an aging male playing a world-weary former intel operative with a particular set of skills whose retirement is upended when a child/spouse/dog is threatened/abducted/killed, at which point he systematically hunts down and kills every one of the slimy Eastern European gangsters.
I actually find that number optimistic. Tickets for “Digger” go on sale next Tuesday, and presales will give us a better picture of how bad it’s looking.