10 Legacy Sequel Movies Everyone Actually Wants To See
5. Mathilda: The Professional
Luc Besson's Léon: The Professional is one of the most iconic and entertaining action thrillers of the 1990s, starring Natalie Portman as Mathilda, a precocious 12-year-old who is taken under the wing of the titular simple-minded hitman (Jean Reno) after a corrupt DEA agent (Gary Oldman) murders her family.
It's a terrific film that concludes with Léon sacrificing himself to save Mathilda, after which Mathilda re-enrolls at school and is watched over by Léon's mafioso boss Tony (Danny Aiello).
Almost 30 years have passed since the release of Léon, and fans continue to float the idea of a legacy sequel which catches up with a now-adult Mathilda.
Given that Portman is now just a few years younger than Reno was when he starred in the original, it'd be fitting for Mathilda to end up training her own young assassin in the present.
There is one big elephant in the room, though, and that's Luc Besson, who has been accused of sexual assault by numerous women in recent years.
Given that Besson would likely benefit financially from a Léon sequel, it's a bit of a hornet's nest from a PR perspective, and Portman - who has spoken out about her own traumatic experiences in Hollywood - may consequently want nothing to do with it.
If the film can be entirely disentangled from Besson and produced without his involvement or benefit, though, there's certainly a fertile foundation for a belated follow-up.