10 Movie Franchises That Died In 2021
4. The Hitman's Bodyguard
Nobody was expecting much from The Hitman's Bodyguard when it hit cinemas in the summer of 2017, and while hardly a smash hit, it was a modest commercial success in spite of mixed reviews.
With Ryan Reynolds' popularity at an all-time high, Lionsgate decided to roll the dice on a sequel, the amusingly-titled The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, which was released this past summer.
Despite the fun of Reynolds and Jackson's chemistry and the welcome beefing-up of Salma Hayek's role, critics and audiences alike were fairly indifferent to the forgettable sequel, which just barely recouped its $70 million budget.
Given that Lionsgate was clearly banking on The Hitman's Bodyguard becoming a franchise they could milk as long as the box office grosses remained healthy, the second film's financial failure basically represents a hard stop for the series.
As much as director Patrick Hughes has expressed enthusiasm for a third film, which the recent sequel certainly sets up, the numbers just don't add up. Its goose is cooked.