Atomic Blonde 2: Is It Happening? Everything We Know
Atomic Blonde spoilers ahead.
Atomic Blonde 2 has been in the production cycle for years, but there's been little in the way of news since the early 2020s. A dark spy thriller that deserved more love upon release, Atomic Blonde premiered in 2017 and earned $100 million at the box office (via BoxOfficeMojo) and has a 79% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite the solid return and the positive critical reviews, Atomic Blonde did not make big pop culture waves after it premiered, and it's only been a small, but strong contingent who have pushed for a sequel, which was teased soon after release.
The first film, based on the 2012 graphic novel The Coldest City by Anthony Johnston and Sam Hart, follows an MI6 spy named Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) who is dispatched to retrieve a list of active double agents living in Berlin the night before the Berlin Wall comes down. Surprisingly accurate to the spy world, Atomic Blonde has excellent action, a truly tense and semi-historically-backed plot, and excellent performances from its cast. Atomic Blonde 2 seemed like a possibility soon after the premiere, but not much has been announced since.
Atomic Blonde 2 Is Not Confirmed
The Director Said There Are Rights Issues With The Story
At the moment, Atomic Blonde 2 is not confirmed. In 2018, Charlize Theron confirmed that Atomic Blonde 2 was in development and up through the summer of 2020, Theron and Netflix continued to suggest the movie was in production. Then things went silent for years, and when Atomic Blondedirector David Leitch did finally comment on the project's status in November 2024, the news wasn't great (via TheDirect),
"Everyone's still trying to unravel rights issues, and it had traveled from Universal to Netflix for a bit, and then now it's become a little bit of a bottleneck of too many forces working against each other to try and get it made, because it's such a great piece of IP and would be amazing to go back and revisit that world and that character. So, hopefully we can get it done..."
While Leitch is clearly still interested in the project, there seem to be some issues getting it made that may be outside his control.
Atomic Blonde 2 Cast
Only Charlize Theron And John Goodman Would Likely Return
While no cast list has been announced, Charlize Theron as Lorraine Broughton would almost certainly return. The twisting, violent ending of Atomic Blonde means that few characters are alive to return for Atomic Blonde 2, but at the very least, John Goodman as Emmett Kurzfeld could return as Lorraine's handler and mentor.
Possible Atomic Blonde 2 Cast & Character | |
|---|---|
Actor | Role |
Charlize Theron | Lorraine Broughton/Satchel |
John Goodman | Emmett Kurzfeld |
Atomic Blonde 2 Story Details
Antony Johnston Wrote A Prequel Graphic Novel The Film Could Adapt
The story in Atomic Blonde is fairly open and close, with Lorraine being revealed as "Satchel", a KGB double agent who is revealed to be a CIA triple agent. With her real identity now known to the audience, Atomic Blonde 2 would be less concerned about the mystery of who Lorraine really is and would likely be a more standard spy thriller, perhaps with Lorraine going back to infiltrate the KGB as they are still unaware of her triple agent status.
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Johnston wrote a prequel to his comic titled The Coldest Winter, which could be the focus of the story, particularly if Charlize Theron decides she wants to take on a more production-heavy role rather than be in front of the camera.
Charlize Theron's Involvement In Atomic Blonde 2's Production
Theron's Company Denver And Delilah Productions Produced The Movie
Beyond starring in Atomic Blonde, Charlize Theron has her hands all over the product. Not only is she a producer, but her production company, Denver and Delilah Productions, also backed the film. The company also helped produce two other Theron-led action movies, The Old Guard and the upcoming The Old Guard 2, so Theron is clearly happy to invest in similar projects. If the rights issues can ever be resolved, Atomic Blonde 2 seems like the exact type of project Theron and her production company would get behind.
