“Back in Action” ends on a major cliffhanger, but will there actually be a sequel to the Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx-led action comedy? According to director Seth Gordon, the Netflix film’s ending was conceived less as a guarantee and more as a hopeful wish.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Gordon revealed that Netflix has yet to broach the topic of “Back in Action 2” with him. “They won’t even acknowledge the idea of a sequel yet!” the director admitted. “So if you put in a good word, maybe there’s a chance.”
Having bested Chuck (Kyle Chandler), their greedy former friend, “Back in Action” ends with married, retired spies Matt (Foxx) and Emily (Diaz) returning to their suburban life just in time to watch their daughter Alice (McKenna Roberts) win her playoff soccer game. Their blissful return to normalcy is interrupted, however, by the arrival of MI6 ally Baron (Andrew Scott), who asks for Emily’s aid in recruiting her dad to help him find Chuck’s missing body.
Baron’s interest in Emily’s father, rather than her legendary MI6 mother Ginny (Glenn Close), prompts a surprised reaction from Matt, who incredulously asks, “Your dad!?!” Emily replies, “Yeah… did I not tell you about him?” The film then swiftly commences its end credits — sending viewers out with new questions to ponder about Emily’s family tree and her and Matt’s next implied adventure.
Given that Emily’s mother is played by Close, one would presume that Gordon, who co-wrote “Back in Action” with Brendan O’Brien, has an equally esteemed actor in mind to portray her mysterious father. Speaking with EW, Gordon confirmed as much, teasing, “It wouldn’t be bad if he were also British. You’d have to believe that guy holding a gun. So there are certain people that you could consider for that part. We’ve definitely got some creative thoughts.”
In addition to his casting ideas for Ginny’s husband, Gordon says he’d like “Back in Action 2” to focus more on Emily and Matt’s parental bond with their children, Alice and Leo (Rylan Jackson). “What I’m leaning towards is there’s these moments where family comes in, and the events of a teenager’s life come in conflict with someone’s background as a spy,” Gordon observes. “I feel like there’s a few opportunities or landmarks that we can build on from their lives.”
In its first three days on the platform, “Back in Action” raked in 46.8 million views — earning the biggest weekend debut of any English-language Netflix movie since 2022’s “The Adam Project.” A sequel to “Back in Action” might not have been announced yet, but the film’s performance is a good indicator of its franchise potential. Hopefully, Netflix takes the high viewership as a sign to finally have the “Back in Action 2” conversation with Gordon.
“Back in Action” is streaming now on Netflix.
