After more than a decade, Law Abiding Citizen is getting a sequel. Directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Kurt Wimmer, the action thriller was released in theaters in 2009. Starring Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx, the film follows a man who takes the law into his own hands when the criminal justice system fails to properly punish his family's killer. The film was a hit at the box office, even if reviews weren't overly kind.
Per Deadline, it has now been revealed that Law Abiding Citizen 2 is officially a go. Butler, who also served as a producer on the original, is producing the sequel alongside fellow returning producers Wimmer, Lucas Foster, and Alan Siegel. Rivulet Films' Rob Paris and Mike Witherill are also producing. Village Roadshow Pictures' Tristen Tuckfield and Jillian Apfelbaum are executive producing.
A director has not been named and it's not clear if the plan is for Gray to return to the director's chair, but Wimmer is penning the screenplay for the follow-up film. No plot details have been revealed, and it's not entirely clear if Foxx or any other actors from the original film are going to reprise their roles. However, a statement from the filmmakers teases revisiting characters introduced in the first movie.
“I am delighted to partner with Rob, Mike, and Village Roadshow Pictures, together with my frequent creative partner Kurt Wimmer, to revisit these great characters and this compelling topic which seems even more relevant today than when we made the original film. We’re going to blow your mind… again," Foster said.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Rivulet on the sequel to Law Abiding Citizen," noted Tuckfield and Apfelbaum. "It’s a title that exemplifies the scope and breadth of the Vine library. Collaborating closely with Kurt and Lucas will lend the creative authenticity necessary to make a film worthy of its predecessor."
Paris and Witherill added, “The demand for smart, star-driven action thrillers in the marketplace is palpable, and this is one of those rare unexploited franchise opportunities that was too good to pass up.”
Law Abiding Citizen 2's Plot Details Are Under Wraps
Even if the sequel focuses on different characters, it seems likely it may carry over a similar theme. Gerard Butler's character in Law Abiding Citizen is someone viewers are rooting for initially, but the lines get blurred over the course of the story. Butler previously spoke about that theme of the original film in an interview with Film School Rejects.
"I think that this film works on a lot of levels," he said. "It’s exciting, there’s a lot of suspense, it’s surprising, but at the same time it’s thought-provoking and it does draw you into a lot of questions about justice, about the legal system, about responsibility and accountability. How much one is entitled to stand up for themselves and fight back. Because it is, as an audience, even Jamie’s character the prosecutor says, 'I’m with you. I get it.'”
He added, "And as an audience, it’s amazing the amount of support that’s given to my character despite the fact that he’s committing some pretty horrific acts. I thought that was really fascinating when I saw it with an audience ‐ how much of the movie they were still cheering me as the killings started involving more and more innocent people."
Law Abiding Citizen 2 doesn't yet have a premiere date.