Is anyone else counting the days until Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal wreck shop on the 2025 movie schedule? After years of waiting for a sequel to their previous collaboration, The Accountant 2’s first reactions have only further amped up why this next chapter is such a hot ticket, with Affleck himself getting in on the joy. That happiness comes from acknowledging this very important rule he shared about deciding to make a sequel: give the people what they want.
Speaking with Vanity Fair, The Accountant star mentioned why he felt optimistic about director Gavin O’Connor’s sequel with Amazon-MGM Studios, and any franchise fan could appreciate what he had to say. Addressing the fact that Christian Wolff’s adventures have been allowed to continue, Ben Affleck offered up these comments:
I’m keenly aware of the fact that you kind of have to earn another movie. The worst pitfall is to store a bunch of your good ideas for the next installment. If you don’t create an interest demand the first time out there, you’re just going to be playing that to an empty house.
Thinking back to why I’m so excited for The Accountant 2, Mr. Affleck’s thoughts above resonate even more clearly with me. For a fan to want a sequel isn’t the same as having the right idea to move forward with such a project. In the case of the last time Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal met in this universe, the kernel of an idea that drove it into existence was pretty simple, and wasn’t saved for a mere ending tag that confirmed these potential adversaries were actually brothers.
With an organic desire to see Christian and his brother Braxton get back to work, the reactions that highlighted this new “brother buddy comedy” as a treat that awaits us in the near future. It also helps one appreciate how despite Gavin O’Connor’s previous doubt The Accountant 2 would happen, that project wasn’t merely rushed into production to serve such a need.
And strange as it may sound, Ben Affleck has been getting a lot of love for that film for quite some time, as he shared with this anecdote:
It was a movie that I found that I would hear about from people. It was a movie that stuck around, that people would talk about and say, ‘Oh, hey, I like The Accountant.’ And there seemed to be a lot of goodwill towards it.
Determination is always a good skill to have when pursuing a well-earned sequel. Between having the right idea, and a healthy fan base that wanted to make it happen, J.K. Simmons’ story about the push for an Accountant sequel makes it all sound like it was supposed to happen.
That’s the kind of optimism you like to see in a returning cast, especially when it’s almost been a decade since the first picture hit theaters. Earning a sequel doesn’t always work out, as plenty of devoted screenwriters and fans can tell you. So to be able to say that The Accountant 2 is heading to theaters on April 25th ultimately stands as a win everyone can take part in.
With both Ben Affleck and Gavin O’Connor rolling around ideas for what to do with a potential third installment, it’ll be more important than ever for those invested in such a future to show up for this new chapter.