Agent Lorraine Broughton is a skilled MI6 operative capable of clearing out an entire room full of goons without even breaking a sweat. Known better to you, I and most of the world as Atomic Blonde, she’s a fierce and brave spy that journeyed to Berlin circa 1989, just before the collapse of the wall, in writer-director David Leitch’s hit 2017 film. But if recent reports are to be believed, Miss Broughton’s mission is far from over.
The possibility of a sequel to the Charlize Theron-fronted actioner has been brought up before, and while everyone involved is down for another outing, it seems that Atomic Blonde‘s box office performance may mean that any form of follow-up will release on a streaming service, rather than in theaters.
With a worldwide gross of about $100 million, the pic didn’t exactly set the box office on fire, and while that’s certainly enough money to warrant interest in producing another movie, Leitch says it’s possible we’ll see it on a streaming service instead of on the big screen.
“I think there is [still talk of a sequel],” the director stated in a recent interview. “A streaming service is into it. I don’t know all the details. I was a work-for-hire on that movie, but at the end of the day, Kelly McCormick – my producing partner and my wife – she will be involved, I’m sure, as a producer. That’s how I got the gig in the first place. We’ll see.”
Box office numbers aside, the other thing still standing in the way of a sequel getting off the ground are scheduling issues. For instance, Theron is set to appear in Fast & Furious 9, while there’ve also been talks of a Mad Max: Fury Road prequel movie focusing on her Imperator Furiosa. Stay tuned for more on that one.
Though not a perfect film by any means, Atomic Blonde was a thrilling ride. Leitch’s direction – coupled with the super-sleek cinematography by Jonathan Sela – pushed it well above blockbuster mediocrity. Throw in the neon-drenched visuals that brought Berlin to life and some mesmerizing fight sequences, and you had a package that satisfied all the senses. As such, we’d be all for seeing a sequel and are hopeful that one takes flight sooner rather than later.