The Accountant happens to be one of the most beloved films from Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal’s collective filmographies. While they both have starred in their fair share of iconic works, this film stands as quite a memorable one. Having been released in 2016, it has its own loyal fanbase, and audiences frequently revisit it from time to time.
However, like many other cult classic films, fans have been wanting more from the project for years. Even though a lot of time had passed and many had given up on hoping for a sequel, Gavin O’Connor himself seemed to have answered their prayers.
The director of the first film is famously coming back with Affleck and Bernthal for a second look into the lives of Brax and Christian. At the same time, it would seem that a duology isn’t in O’Connor’s plan.
The Accountant is coming back for more than just one film
In a recent interview with Collider, Gavin O’Connor, who directed The Accountant, talked about the upcoming sequel to the 2016 film. Almost a decade has passed since the original film was released. With this, curiosity naturally strikes about what brought up the story’s revival and the plan that the director has moved forward.
With a premise as unique as the Ben Affleck film has, there are many places that the story can go. Following an accountant who works for criminals is a story fans don’t get to see very often. Additionally, the direction that the original film ended up going into, becoming a full-blown action film, leaves a lot of room for exploration. So much so, that not only could the creators come up with a sequel to the original film, but so much more.
Keeping this in mind, O’Connor gave some very good news to fans about the upcoming film, set to hit theaters in some time. It would seem that not only is The Accountant coming back for a sequel, but it is set to be a trilogy, with another film being announced eventually.
Gavin O’Connor had a very far-sighted plan
One would assume that the sudden addition to The Accountant’s release plan was a product of money. Many franchises try to extend their run for as long as they can to get as much profit as they can, making erratic decisions at the cost of audience satisfaction. However, it would seem that Gavin O’Connor had no such intent.
In his interview, he revealed that he had always planned to make the first film a part of three. He confessed that around the post-production stage of the Ben Affleck project, he had the idea along with the screenwriter of the movie, Bill Dubuque.
There’s always been three. Since post-production, since I started editing the first one. I didn’t know Bill [Dubuque]. We met on the first movie. I got the script from Lynette Howell Taylor, and then from the script that I initially got, I started working with Bill. I think any filmmaker’s going to do it. You get a script, you respond to it. How does it affect you personally? But then you keep climbing inside of it. It becomes your own aesthetic and sensibility.
Praising Dubuque for writing the original story, he mentioned that he felt personally connected to the world they built, with it even influencing him today. With this in mind, it is not surprising that he decided to pick up the project again after nine years, committing to see his original plan through.
The Accountant 2 will be released on 25 April 2025.
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