Warning: This article about Universal's decision to film a sequel to their hit "Safe House" contains major spoilers, beginning right now.
So if you didn't want to know that Denzel Washington's character died, well, it's too late, isn't it? And that's important, because according to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio is still hoping Washington will co-star in "Safe House 2" anyway.
And, oh yeah, co-star Ryan Reynolds isn't signed yet either. Just what kind of sequel is this going to be, anyway?
First, the nitty gritty: Filmed on a budget of $85 million, "Safe House" was a solid success for Universal back in February, grossing $202 million worldwide. The story revolved around a low-level CIA agent (that's Reynolds) who gets in way, way over his head when the world's deadliest killer (that's Washington) shows up on his doorstep with a bunch of secrets and even more bullets. By the end, Washington was dead and Reynolds had become a co-conspirator, dropping a WikiLeaks style info bomb on all the CIA's dirty laundry.
That does suggest a pretty obvious Jason Bourne type sequel scenario, or at least it would if Reynolds was under contract, which he isn't. Still, Universal is confident enough in their ability to re-sign him that they're going ahead with "Safe House 2" anyway. And despite the fact that Washington's character is pushing up daisies, they apparently want him involved anyway, which suggests some kind of flashback. Or possibly a cloned, time-displaced psychic doppelganger! But probably a flashback.
Just how they're going to justify the title remains to be seen — seriously, how many panic rooms can one guy get himself locked into? — but assuming Reynolds re-ups, it's a safe bet that "Safe House 2" will be heading to theaters sooner rather than later.
Dead characters and all.
