- A sequel to the superhero movie Samaritan is in development at Amazon MGM Studios.
- Bragi F. Schut will return as the writer and Sylvester Stallone will reprise his role as Joe Smith.
- The first movie received mixed reviews from critics but a positive response from audiences, indicating anticipation for a sequel.
A sequel to last year’s superhero film, Samaritan, is underway at Amazon MGM Studios. The movie featured Sylvester Stallone as the titular character, who is being stalked by a teenage neighbor who suspects him of being a long-lost superhero. The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that a sequel is now in development, with Bragi F. Schut returning to write the script and Stallone reprising his role as Joe Smith in addition to serving as a producer. Stallone’s Balboa Productions partner Braden Aftergood is also involved in the project.
Stallone’s return to the leading role in Samaritan 2 was finalized before the ongoing SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) strike commenced.
Directed by Julius Avery, Samaritan was released in August of last year, when thirteen-year-old Sam Cleary becomes suspicious that his enigmatic neighbor, Mr. Smith, is actually a legendary superhero who reportedly died 25 years ago. With crime increasing and the city on the verge of chaos, Sam decides to convince his neighbor to save the city from devastation.
Samaritan stars Stallone with The Umbrella Academy’s Javon Walton as Sam Cleary, as well as Martin Starr, Moisés Arias, Dascha Polanco, Natacha Karam, and Pilou Asbæk.
Although critics received Samaritan with mixed reviews, audiences were more appreciative, resulting in a 38% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 71% audience score. This indicates a desire to see what the sequel will bring. The plot details for Samaritan 2 are not yet known, but the plot will likely address the twist ending of the first film.
Spoiler: Samaritan’s conclusion reveals that Stallone’s character is not the hero but actually the villain, Nemesis. The actual superhero, who happens to be his brother, died in a battle years ago. The sequel will have to deal with whether Nemesis has changed his ways and is now acting as the hero, or if another superhero will emerge, know his true identity, and hunt him down.
In other news, fans of Sylvester Stallone can look forward to a Netflix documentary, Sly, exploring his career and life. The documentary premieres on November 3.