While The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day didn't exactly light up the box office when it was released back in 2009, that's apparently doing nothing to slow the production of a sequel, as star Norman Reedus is reporting that things are definitely moving forward with the making of The Boondock Saints III.
Reedus spent part of his day today on Reddit for an Ask Me Anything session, and in between all of the questions about Daryl Dixon on The Walking Dead the actor confirmed that there are plans in the works for a third Boondock Saints film. Asked both about whether or not The Boondock Saints III was moving forward and if there's a possibility that his co-star Sean Patrick Flannery could appear on his zombie television show, Reedus responded,
"hey good morning . yeah its on. in the works , happening. sean would be great on the show he's a real life ninja"
We first learned about The Boondock Saints III back in September when writer/director Troy Duffy revealed some details about the plot as well as the title. Reportedly The Boondock Saints III: Legion will partially be dedicated to the idea of Connor and Murphy McManus (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus, respectively) finding themselves as being labeled folk heroes - but the movie will also take the audience back in time to witness the brothers' first crime.
This seems to be a franchise that just seems to trudge on thanks to a very loyal fanbase. The original Boondock Saints - which was roundly dismissed by critics at the time of its release for being an ugly Quentin Tarantino ripoff - found success on the home video market, which is what opened the door for a sequel 10 years later. Theatrically, the sequel did out-gross its predecessor by a wide margin - $10.2 million vs. $30,471 - but it still wasn't exactly a hit given that it cost $8 million to actually make before marketing expenses. Like the original, we can perhaps presume that The Boondock Saints II also did well on home video, which would explain why another movie is being made.
While there is something to appreciate in Norman Reedus' loyalty to the Boondock Saints fans, I must say I'm kind of surprised that he's not looking for bigger projects to fill his personal calendar. He is easily the biggest fan-favorite character on The Walking Dead, and yet it hasn't led to better movie roles in the off-season. He clearly has a good amount of charisma and likability on his side, so why isn't he starting to do better in the film world?
While Norman Reedus says that The Boondock Saints III is happening, it remains a bit unclear as to exactly what that means, but it's probably only a matter of time before something official is announced.
