Warning! Spoilers ahead for The Killer’s Game’s ending.
The Killer’s Game director J. J. Perry comments on the possibility of The Killer’s Game 2 happening. Based on the 1997 novel of the same name by Jay Bonansinga, the action-comedy follows Dave Bautista’s hitman, Joe Flood, as he takes out a hit on himself after a terminal diagnosis, soon finding himself fending off his former assassin colleagues when they also target his ex-girlfriend, Maize (Sofia Boutella). The Killer’s Game‘s ending leaves the door open for more story, with both Joe and a pregnant Maize alive, but there’s been no official confirmation of a sequel just yet.
In a recent interview with Inverse, Perry is asked about the potential expansion of The Killer’s Game‘s universe, and he expresses enthusiasm regarding a sequel. The director shares that he already has plenty of ideas regarding what colorful characters could appear. Read his comment below:
“I’d be stoked to do a sequel for Killers Game. I’ve got a whole bunch of other characters that I could think of right now that I haven’t used over the years that I would love to put in there.”
Perry also comments specifically about what he envisions for Joe, Maize, and their upcoming baby, citing a scene from Shogun Assassin (1980) as a major influence:
“They have a baby carriage that has knives that pop out. I don’t know, we’ll figure it out. But I think absolutely we should do a sequel.”
What The Killer’s Game’s Reception Means For Its Sequel Chances
How The Dave Bautista Movie Fared With Critics & Audiences
While Perry’s interest in making a sequel is a positive sign, The Killer’s Game opening weekend reception is definitely not. The action film debuted to mostly negative reviews from critics, and currently sports a disappointing 35% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience score, now called the Popcornmeter, is higher at 77%, but this hasn’t translated to a strong showing at the box office.
The Killer’s Game earned a B+ CinemaScore, the same grade awarded to recent films like Speak No Evil (2024), Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024), asnd Alien: Romulus (2024).
Specific budget figures for The Killer’s Game aren’t available, but Deadline reports that the film had a production budget of less than $30 million before prints and advertising. That makes the film’s opening weekend gross of $2.6 million an especially dismal result, and it marks the lowest opening of Bautista’s career.
Though Lionsgate action flicks can be strong performers on VOD, and streaming deals and foreign sales can help a film earn back some of its budget before its even released, it’s extremely unlikely the movie will break even with this kind of start. Critically and commercially, then, The Killer’s Game is a disappointment, and it’s very unlikely Perry will be getting a chance to make a sequel.
Our Take On The Killer’s Game 2’s Chances
Positive Audience Reception Won’t Be Enough To Justify Continuing Joe Flood’s Story
Perry is evidently enthusiastic about the world and the characters of the movie, and the audience response is generally positive. The film’s marketing, however, clearly didn’t connect, and not enough people were interested in actually watching The Killer’s Game in theaters, or were even aware it was coming out. It’s possible that extremely strong VOD performance could turn the tides and make The Killer’s Game 2 a reality, but the audience response thus far isn’t glowing enough to suggest this will be the case.
Source: Inverse
