We’ve only just begun to see what 2021 has to offer in terms of entertainment, especially since this coming weekend is the first non-holiday frame for films to make their debut. But the tail end of 2020 already yielded a pretty big development in terms of writer/director Robert Rodriguez’s future, as not only did Disney confirm he’ll be an executive producer on The Book of Boba Fett series, but now Netflix has retained his services for a streaming original. It’s all thanks to his latest film, We Can Be Heroes, being such a gigantic hit that the studio has already given the green light to a sequel.
Following the announcement that 44 million families have watched the pseudo-sequel to Sharkboy and Lavagirl within the first four weeks of its release, clearly We Can Be Heroes has left a lasting impression on kids and adults alike. So obviously when you have a movie that’s left the public wanting more, you announce a sequel as soon as you can, right? That school of thought led to the following post from Robert Rodriguez’s Twitter, confirming that Netflix had just that in mind:
Of course, this good news comes with a bit of a caveat for those fans of Robert Rodriguez’s other recent fan favorite, Alita: Battle Angel. With no concrete plans announced by Disney, or the ever optimistic Rodriguez, to continue that franchise, these new gigs are a bit of a sticky wicket. As both We Can Be Heroes 2 and The Book of Boba Fett will be taking up Rodriguez’s time in the foreseeable future, this casts even more doubt on a potential Alita sequel that fans have been clamoring for.
That’s not to say that “full development” on the We Can Be Heroes sequel has killed any chance for moving forward with that universe as well, but it’s admittedly looking as if there will be an even longer wait for any announcement confirming or denying the Alita: Battle Angel sequel's fate. But on the positive side, to see Netflix give Robert Rodriguez a pretty quick and firm commitment to We Can Be Heroes 2 is a hopeful sign that the studio is keen to keep the train rolling on this partnership, and in short order.
We Can Be Heroes is currently available on Netflix, with the sequel’s release date sitting at an obvious TBD for this moment. We'll let you know when an official date is announced. As for Robert Rodriguez’s work on Season 2 of The Mandalorian, that’s currently sitting in the Disney+ library, waiting to be enjoyed. And if you’re looking for more cinematic thrills in 2021, you can head over to our release schedule for the entire year and scope out what’s available.
