The Old Guard 2 has found a director in the form of Victoria Mahoney, with Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, and the rest of the cast set to return. Based on the comic book of the same name written by Greg Rucka and illustrated by Leandro Fernandez, The Old Guard was released last year and proved to be one of Netflix's most successful original films. Following a group of immortal warriors-come-mercenaries led by Theron's Andy (Andromache of Scythia), the film saw the group recruit a new member in the form of Layne's Nile and were hunted by a pharmaceutical company that wanted to experiment on them.
The Old Guard immediately set up a sequel, with Matthias Schoenaerts' Booker, after being excommunicated from the group for betraying them, finding himself face to face with Veronica Ngo's Quynh, who was believed to be dead. However, due to being in high demand since the success of the film, original director Gina Prince-Bythewood opted not to return for the sequel, despite working on the screenplay. She is instead currently working on The Woman King for Sony which stars Viola Davis and Thuso Mbedu.
According to Deadline, however, Netflix and Skydance have found a more than worthy successor in Mahoney, who has drawn attention since she served as the second unit director on The Rise of Skywalker. In a statement, Mahoney described her excitement to work on the project and said that she was "genuinely blown backwards by the collective levels of talent, skill and savvy that went into carving The Old Guard". You can read Mahoney's full statement below:
“Genuinely blown backwards by the collective levels of talent, skill and savvy that went into carving The Old Guard. I must’ve watched it over a hundred times, and as such, cannot communicate the true measure of my excitement–being invited on The Old Guard journey alongside ferocious badasses. Ever eager to continue pushing the genre for action-loving audiences. Warmly tipping my hat to the world Gina, Charlize, Rucka, Fernández, Skydance, Netflix, Marc Evans Productions, Denver & Delilah Films and the entire Team daringly put forward.”
In a statement, Bythewood said that she has the utmost faith in Mahoney to deliver the next installment in the Old Guard series, and also revealed that she would be staying on as a producer on the film. Likewise, Netflix producers Theron, Beth Kono, and AJ Dix shared their excitement to work with Mahoney on The Old Guard 2. You can read both statements below:
Mahoney: “I love The Old Guard and the story and characters I was honored to put into the world. It was exciting to disrupt the genre. I have decided not to direct the sequel, but will stay on as a producer. I leave our franchise in good hands as my girl Vic Mahoney takes on this next chapter.”
Theron, Kono, and Dix: “We are beyond thrilled that Vic is joining The Old Guard team. Her passion for these characters and her ambitious vision for the movie overwhelmed us all. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with her.”
Very little is currently known about what The Old Guard 2 will entail, but it seems more than likely it will feature Quynh tracking down her former comrades, chiefly Andy, potentially feeling a sense of betrayal after being locked in a casket at the bottom of the ocean for so long. In 2019, Rucka published a sequel to his original comic titled The Old Guard: Force Multiplied. so the sequel will likely draw from that as well. Regardless, with Mahoney at the helm and the original cast returning, it's almost certain that The Old Guard 2 will deliver on the excitement and continue the excellent action that made the first movie so memorable.
Source: Deadline