When action flick Nobody hit theaters in 2021, the idea of a John Wick-adjacent action movie starring none other than prominent sketch comic Bob Odenkirk–written by John Wick creator Derek Kolstad no less–seemed like a somewhat fanciful idea. Odenkirk had never performed a role requiring half as much physicality, even in his Emmy-winning AMC series Better Call Saul. But perhaps it was the lowered expectations, not to mention Odenkirk’s always sharp wit and comic timing, that made Nobody such an unexpected delight for audiences. Many actors have donned the “unexpected badass” archetype over the years, but few have mixed a likable character so effortlessly with a guy who delivers punishing ultraviolence. And if the first trailer for sequel Nobody 2 is to be believed, then the beatings are only about to become that much more savage. Because this time? They’re messing with his family vacation.
Nobody 2 returns Odenkirk to the role of workaholic former government assassin Hutch Mansell, who years after the first film still finds himself indebted to the Russian mob, paying back the vast amounts of damage from the first go-round. Looking for a break to rest his frazzled nerves and reconnect with his family, Hutch decides to take them all to the kitschy waterpark he fondly remembers visiting in childhood with brother Harry (Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA). Also along for the ride (and obvious comic relief) is Hutch’s dad David (Christopher Lloyd), also a retired FBI agent. But wouldn’t you know it: A seemingly insignificant carnival bullying incident snowballs into yet another cluster-F, pulling the family “into the crosshairs of a corrupt theme-park operator and his shady sheriff (Colin Hanks),” along with “the most unhinged, blood-thirsty crime boss he or anyone has ever encountered.” That last role? None other than Sharon Stone as the Big Bad.
Nobody 2 is very promisingly directed by Indonesian action master Timo Tjahjanto, the helmer of bloody classics like Head Shot and The Night Comes For Us, which likely means we can expect even more bloody and brutal mayhem than in the first film. Tjajanto’s credibility in this genre is beyond question; he’s even responsible for one of the best-ever segments in the V/H/S horror anthology series in the form of “The Subject” from V/H/S/94 in 2021. Nobody 2 feels like it could be an excellent candidate for the first-ever stunt coordination Oscar as a result, except for the fact that the newly created award sadly won’t be given out for the first time until 2028.
Nobody 2 brawls its way into U.S. theaters on Aug. 15, 2025. Check out the thudding first trailer below.
