New 'The Old Guard' in the works, as Charlize Theron confirms Netflix sequel will start filming next year

Netflix’s adaptation of The Old Guard, one of its most-watched genre action movies, is getting a sequel. Charlize Theron, who starred in the first film, broke the news today to Variety that the script for the sequel is complete, and production will start in early 2022.

The Old Guard is based on the 2017 graphic novel by writer Greg Rucka and artist Leandro Fernandez. The story follows a group of almost-immortal warriors who get outted in contemporary times and have to face the aftermath. Rucka had adapted the first graphic novel into a script for Netflix and Gina Prince-Bythewood directed the film, which had over 78 million views in its first four weeks on the streamer.

After the unambiguous success of the first film, it’s not surprising that Netflix is pursuing an Old Guard sequel. Granted, nothing was confirmed back in July of 2020, right after the movie dropped, when Rucka told SYFY WIRE that “there will be discussions of a sequel, I’m sure,” if the film did well.

Well, the film did incredibly well, and Rucka and Fernandez have two more Old Guard graphic novels in the wings ready for adaptation. It’s possible the Netflix sequel will be based on the second novel, wherein, according to the Goodreads synopsis, Theron’s character, Andy, must “confront the sins of the past” while near-immortal Nile (played by KiKi Lane in the Netflix film) tries to patch things up with her new warrior family.

That’s all speculation, however, though Theron did share with Variety that the sequel will see at least two other characters besides hers come back: the immortal couple played by Marwan Kenzari and Luca Marinell.

With production starting in the first quarter of 2022, we’ll see a new Old Guard movie sometime in the not-so-distant future.