While promoting his latest film, M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin, Dave Bautista gave an exciting update for fans of his turn in the 2020 family comedy My Spy. He recently sat down with Collider Editor-in-Chief Steve Weintraub where the two discussed what Bautista had next on the docket for his burgeoning acting career. Although he didn't go into his full plans for the year, he did reveal that the first thing on his mind to follow up his frightening turn in Shyamalan's latest was a My Spy sequel.
"Well I'm definitely gonna do the sequel to My Spy," Bautista said. "I know that for sure because we start later next month. So I'm off to South Africa to do that, which I've been pushing for a very long time because I love the first film. It was so much fun. So we're gonna do a sequel to that." A follow-up to the film was being explored back in 2020 by Amazon and STX with Bautista set to return alongside his co-star Chloe Coleman, director Paul Segal, and writers Eric and John Hoeber. Bautista's comments are additional confirmation that we'll see the continuation of JJ, Sophie, and Kate's story sooner rather than later.
The original My Spy followed JJ, a CIA operative surveilling the in-laws of a dangerous illegal arms dealer who may be in possession of plans for a miniature nuclear weapon. During the mission, however, he winds up the pawn of the family's 9-year-old daughter who blackmails him into teaching her tricks of the spy trade and spending time with her. The film ended on a lighthearted note with JJ now moving in with Sophie and her mother Kate in Chicago after being re-instated with the CIA.
More Background on the Original My Spy and My Spy 2
My Spy wasn't exactly a critical darling with a 38% audience score and 48% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, but it was a fun and innocent enough family comedy with Bautista as a big draw. Since then, the actor has only grown in stature and in acting prowess, pulling off excellent performances in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Army of the Dead, and Dune among other things. My Spy 2 looks to take him and Coleman to greater heights within the world of espionage, though it's unknown what their mission will be yet. The original film also starred Kristen Schaal, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Ken Jeong, Devere Rogers, Greg Bryk, Ali Hassan, and Noah Danby.
With production beginning in late February, My Spy 2 could potentially see a release in early 2024. Stay tuned for more on the sequel here at Collider and keep an eye out for our full interview with Bautista. Check out the trailer for My Spy below and watch part of our interview with Bautista in the player above.