The Accountant, which was released last October, now has a sequel in the works. The film, directed by Gavin O’Connor, is a thriller starring Ben Affleck as a small-town accountant with high-functioning autism who runs a lucrative sideline doing accounting work for various international criminal organizations - work that leads to a whole lot of fighting and killing. The film had a nontraditional, very complicated structure, full of flashbacks to the title character’s childhood and earlier life, as well as an investigation led by J.K. Simmons' federal agent and a potential romance between Affleck and Anna Kendrick.

The film, despite mixed reviews, earned a North American box office total of $86.3 million, a number that more than doubled when international box office was factored in. So now, audiences should get ready for another visit to The Accountant universe. 

A sequel to The Accountant is moving forward at Warner Bros. As reported by Deadline, Affleck, O’Connor and screenwriter Bill Dubuque are all in talks to return, along with producers Lynette Howell Taylor and Mark Williams. Jon Bernthal, who had a supporting role in The Accountant, may be back as well, although there’s no word on whether Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Alison Wright, or any other cast members from the first film would be returning. A continuing Accountant series will give Affleck two continuing franchises at Warner Bros. simultaneously, along with his role of Bruce Wayne/Batman in the DCEU.

The Accountant (2016) - director Gavin O'Connor and Ben Affleck

Is the sequel to The Accountant a good idea? It’s certainly not an intuitive one. The first film, despite respectable boxoffice numbers, didn’t exactly make a big splash, and was especially weakened by an overstuffed screenplay that struggled to balance what appeared to be enough plot for multiple movies. It's difficult to image that too many people stepped out of The Accountant with the initial thought that this was a universe that lends itself to more stories.

On the other hand, The Accountant is based on an audacious, unconventional idea, a rare Hollywood action film based on a completely original story - and perhaps a sequel, without the burden of telling the character’s origin story, will cut through the noise and tell a more compelling story. After all, the second John Wick movie, released earlier this year, was every bit as thrilling as the first installment.

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There’s no release date yet for a prospective sequel to The Accountant; we will keep you posted.

Source: Deadline