When Gina Prince-Bythewood's The Old Guard was released in the summer of 2020, it scratched an itch that a lot of people were feeling. The COVID-19 pandemic had shut down movie theaters all around the world, but cinephiles with a Netflix subscription were still able to check out some fresh blockbuster action featuring Charlize Theron kicking all kinds of ass as an immortal warrior. The film made a big splash when it arrived, and Theron has continued to collaborate with the streaming service – recently signing on to make the new thriller Apex with director Baltasar Kormákur... but what still remains a mystery is the status of The Old Guard 2.
The sequel isn't theoretical or something fans need to launch internet campaigns for if they ever want to see it. Not only was The Old Guard 2 given the green light in early 2021, but Victoria Mahoney was hired to direct the feature a few months later, and principal photography began in the summer of 2022. There have been reports about reshoots, but Netflix has not yet provided an update regarding their plans for releasing the film.
Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Vân Veronica Ngô, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Chiwetel Ejiofor are all reprising their roles for The Old Guard 2, and it has been reported that new additions to the cast include Uma Thurman and Henry Golding.
While that movie is hanging in limbo, Charlize Theron's upcoming slate of projects includes a very different kind of film in Apex, which will see the Oscar-winning actor playing a protagonist in harrowing circumstances. Per The Hollywood Reporter, she will be playing a "rock climber and adrenaline junkie" who goes out on an expedition and finds herself getting hunted by a psychopath. The antagonist in the movie will be played by Taron Egerton, who has had his own recent success with Netflix starring in the new throwback action movie Carry On.
The feature is based on a spec script by up-and-coming writer Jeremy Robbins, who previous credits include The Purge television series, and it will be Baltasar Kormákur's return to the action movies after making the 2024 Icelandic romantic drama Touch (his last contribution to the genre was the Idris Elba vs. a lion thriller Beast in 2022)
With Apex still being in pre-production here at the end of 2024, it may not end up with a spot on Netflix's 2025 movie and TV show release calendar, but fans can remain hopeful that The Old Guard 2 will end up with a release date during the calendar year. To be totally honest, the delays and reshoots don't suggest that the film is a masterpiece of action cinema... but there remains excitement to see the return of the movie's immortal heroes.
