Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson will return in The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard. The sequel to 2017 The Hitman's Bodyguard filmed earlier this year following the success of the original and now, Lionsgate and Millennium Films have announced a summer 2020 release for the action/comedy sequel. So get ready for more hitman-related hijinks, violence and wisecracks.

According to a new report, The Hitman's Bodyguard 2, aka The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, will officially hit theaters on August 28, 2020. This makes sense, as the original was released in U.S. theaters in August 2017 and that paid off handsomely. The movie went on to become something of a sneaky hit at the box office that year, bringing in $177 million at the global box office, working from a comparatively small budget of just $30 million. Lionsgate is a studio that is in short supply of reliable franchises at the moment. Not to mention that they've suffered a string of major flops in recent years, such as Power Rangers and Robin Hood. With that in mind, getting the stars back on board for a sequel became a top priority for the studio and they made relatively quick work of it. That's made all the more impressive, considering the busy schedules of both Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson.

Patrick Hughes returns to the director's chair for the sequel to The Hitman's Bodyguard, working from a script by Tim O'Connor, who also penned the original. The first movie centered on the world's top protection agent, Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds), who is called upon to guard the life of his mortal enemy, Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson). Darius Kincaid is one of the world's most notorious hitmen. These two men have been on the opposite side of the fence years now and are unexpectedly thrown together that puts them in the sights of a merciless Eastern European dictator (played by Oscar-winner Gary Oldman) who is out for blood. By the end, Michael and Darius have mostly reconciled their differences.

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard will also see the return of Salma Hayek as Sonia Kincaid. This time around, Bryce intends to swear off violence entirely. However, his plans are derailed when Kincaid and Sonia rope him into their mission to save Europe from a vengeful extremist played by Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory). The cast also includes Morgan Freeman (Angel Has Fallen), Frank Grillo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?).

At present, the only other movie scheduled for release on that same date is Unhinged, which stars Russell Crowe. So the path could be clear for the sequel to once again become a late-summer hit. That is, assuming audiences buy what Lionsgate is selling this time around. With the release date in place, we should expect to see a trailer landing online in the next couple of months. We'll be sure to keep you posted as any further information on the project is made available. This news comes to us via The Hollywood Reporter.