Salma Hayek Predicts Sequel to Lionsgate’s ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ at CinemaCon Screening
One year after unveiling Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land” at CinemaCon, Lionsgate returned to screen action-comedy “The Hitman’s Bodyguard,” and star Salma Hayek is already predicting a sequel.
“This film is so magnificent that I am going to have the courage to predict that there will be a sequel,” Hayek said before praising her co-stars Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson. “The two stars of this film are, I think, the best people in the world to balance action and comedy.”
Directed by Patrick Hughes (“The Expendables 3”), “The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ is an action-comedy that follows the world’s top protection agent (Reynolds) and his new client, a notorious hitman (Jackson). Lionsgate president of domestic distribution David Spitz noted that the film is still a work in progress, but Hayek is “the person who steals the show.” The movie arrives August 18.
Lionsgate also debuted the trailer for the drama “Wonder,” starring Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Jacob Tremblay. Based on the best-selling novel by R.J. Palacio, the film looks to be a tear-jerker that follows a young boy named Augie (Tremblay) who was born with a facial deformity and has to navigate the world of school for the first time in his life. Spitz noted that the movie is the highest-testing in Lionsgate’s history. Directed by “Beauty and the Beast” writer Stephen Chbosky (“The Perks of Being A Wallflower”), “Wonder” hits theaters November 17.
There was also a first trailer for “American Assassin,” a fast-paced action-thriller about a young man recruited into the nation’s most elite counterterrorism program. Dylan O’Brien stars in the leadopposite Michael Keaton, who plays the head of the covert operations group. Directed by Michael Cuesta, the film is based on a series of novels by Vince Flynn that have sold more than 20 million copies. “American Assassin” comes to theaters September 15.
Another brand-new trailer screened during the presentation was “All Eyez on Me,” which tells the story of Tupac Shakur, from his early days in New York City to becoming one of world’s most recognized and influential voices. “Tupac Shakur — rapper, actor, poet and activist, left the world far too young, but his legacy lives on,” Spitz said. “All Eyez on Me” stars Demetrius Shipp Jr., whose performance seems to embody every detail of Shakur’s look and demeanor. It arrives June 16.
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The only straight comedy that Lionsgate previewed was “How to Be a Latin Lover,” directed by Ken Marino. The film also stars Hayek, this time as the sister of a recently single man who made a career out of of seducing rich, older women. The film hits theaters on April 28.
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