Netflix's The Old Guard debuted on the service today, but if you've already seen the movie, you know that it sort of betrays its graphic novel origins by setting up the idea that we could see more of it in the future. So is Netflix already planning to turn The Old Guard into a franchise? We asked the film's director, Gina Prince-Bythewood, that very question, and while it seems there are no specific plans for such things at this moment, it certainly could happen.
CinemaBlend's Eric Eisenberg spoke with Gina Prince-Bythewood ahead of the release of The Old Guard and asked her about her thoughts about the future. As it turns out she knows quite a bit about exactly what that future might include. Check out her full comments below.
Greg Rucka, who wrote the original The Old Guard graphic novel on which the new Netflix movie is based, is at work on the sequel right now, but Gina Prince-Bythewood says that he plans for the story to be a trilogy, and she even knowns at least some of what Rucka is planning for the rest of the story. She says it's all "pretty dope" which makes it sound like she's at least interested in potentially coming back to continue this story on the screen if the opportunity is there.
The economics of Netflix is so different that it's a much more complicated process to figure out how to handle sequels. It's not as simple as looking at box office numbers and deciding that people will pay money to see a sequel. It's more about using sequels as a way to entice new subscribers, or at the very least, keep current subscribers from considering leaving the service. Netflix movie sequels aren't even really a thing that exist yet. Films like Bright and Murder Mystery have seen sequels get the go-ahead, but neither has even begun production yet. And with the Greg Rucka still writing the next part of The Old Guard, a sequel would be a ways off even if it were to happen.
On the plus side, the simple fact is that if you're looking for a new movie to watch, The Old Guard is one of the few options out there, since theatrical releases have now been pushed back into at least August. Perhaps even more people than usual will give The Old Guard a shot. And if they love it, there will be that many more people looking for that sequel.
And hey, it's a comic book action movie starring Charlize Theron and really, whether this movie was on big screens or Netflix, this is exactly the sort of movie we're usually watching this time of year. And based on our own review, if that's the sort of movie you're looking for, The Old Guard will scratch that itch.
