In 2017, action-comedy The Hitman’s Bodyguard teamed up Hollywood’s most legendarily foul-mouthed icon – Samuel L. Jackson – with its greatest freewheeling motormouth – Ryan Reynolds – for an explosion of shoot-‘em-up setpieces with verbal assaults to match. And for its upcoming sequel, the duo is joined by Salma Hayek in a co-leading role as Sonia Kincaid, the wife of Jackson’s hitman Darius – hence that extra word in the follow-up’s title The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. As seen in the upcoming new issue of Empire – on sale Thursday 21 January and available to pre-order online now here – we present a world-exclusive first look at the film.
Returning director Patrick Hughes has a star-studded line-up in store for this one. As seen in the above image, the central trio of Reynolds, Jackson and Hayek will be facing off against a villain played by Antonio Banderas – here donning a particularly jazzy purple jacket. And elsewhere in the film, Morgan Freeman, Frank Grillo, and Richard E. Grant are all expected to pop up, the latter reprising his role of Mr. Seifert – another client of Reynolds’ bodyguard Michael Bryce – from the first instalment.
When lockdown lifts and cinemas are able to open again, we’ll all be in need of some cinematic laughs, and a big dollop of switch-your-brain-off action to boot. Here’s hoping The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard can deliver both of those in spades – and can stick to its planned UK release on 19 August. Pre-order The Greatest Cinema Moments Ever issue of Empire here.