The Netflix movie The Last Thing He Wanted includes a major twist that sets up a continued storyline, but will a sequel - The Last Thing He Wanted 2 - actually be produced? Based on Joan Didion's novel of the same name, the political thriller was co-written and directed by Mudbound filmmaker Dee Rees. The Last Thing He Wanted premiered on on February 21, 2020.
The Last Thing He Wanted stars Anne Hathaway as American journalist Elena McMahon. After receiving a cryptic photo of her father Dick (Willem Dafoe), along with a threatening note, Elena decides to pick up a previous investigation in Central America that was thwarted by her boss. Along the way, she seeks help from government official Treat Morrison (Ben Affleck), a man with ties to both the criminal underworld and powerful political figures. Elena hopes to solve a complex mystery in The Last Thing He Wanted, but realizes that she's inadvertently one of the main players.
During the final 30 minutes of The Last Thing He Wanted, Elena learns that a loved one has been killed, and also survives an assassination attempt on Treat. She's then informed by her Sandanista connection Jones (Edi Gathegi) that a certain file will be officially be closed when two birds are killed with one stone. Here's everything to expect from The Last Thing He Wanted 2 on Netflix.
Will The Last Thing He Wanted 2 Happen?
Netflix hasn't announced The Last Thing He Wanted 2. If the streaming service does produce and release a sequel, it won't be based on existing source material from the original author. Didion never released a follow-up novel - in fact, she hasn't released a new fiction book since The Last The Thing He Wanted was published in 1996. Didion is currently 85 years old.
Theoretically, The Last Thing He Wanted 2 could maybe happen given the first film's conclusion and connection to real-life historic events. Still, it seems unlikely that a sequel would be made unless the script is approved or written by Didion herself. For now, expect Netflix to assess viewing numbers for approximately three to six weeks after The Last Thing He Wanted's February 2020 release date.
The Last Thing He Wanted 2 Release Date
If Netflix greenlights The Last Thing He Wanted 2, it likely won't be released until 2022 at the earliest. Once the script is written and approved, the production will take a significant amount of time given the scope of the storyline and various international locations. It's therefore likely that Netflix would set a 2023 release date for The Last Thing He Wanted 2, though a sequel seems highly improbable.
The Last Thing He Wanted 2 Story Details
People are curious about The Last Thing He Wanted 2 because the first film ends with a shocking death and an unresolved political conspiracy. Once Elena seems to understand what's going on - that her father was an arms dealer, and that people are trying to essentially "close the file" by killing her - she seeks help from Treat Morrison. Unfortunately, he's part of the conspiracy and succeeds in his mission by shooting Elena, who then falls from a cliff and dies. Meanwhile, Treat gives an official speech and claims that Elena was a Sandanista sympathizer, a woman with an axe to grind. Didion's original storyline concludes with plot clarity, but there's much more to explore given the real world-implications.
If The Last Thing He Wanted 2 happens, it would presumably explore the Iran–Contra affair and Ronald Reagan's second term as U.S. president. The first film explores the backstory, and the sequel would seemingly dive deeper into the political ramifications. But considering that The Last Thing He Wanted hasn't received strong reviews, and has also been criticized for having a thin script, perhaps Netflix will choose to produce a docuseries that fully explores the true story that Didion (and Rees) fictionalized for dramatic purposes.