Will Smith Teases Development on ‘Hancock’ Sequel

The follow-up to the 2008 superhero film, directed by Peter Berg, has been touted for a few years now but might finally happen.

Will Smith in 'Hancock'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

Preview:

Will Smith says moves are being made on a ‘Hancock’ sequel.
It would continue the story of the 2008 original.
Smith teases that Zendaya has been approached for a role.

Was the world truly anticipating a follow-up to 2008 superhero pic ‘Hancock’?

Yes, it starred Will Smith, Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron, and it made more than $629 million worldwide from a $150 million budget, but the reviews were far from positive and it didn’t exactly enter the public consciousness in the way that, say, fellow 2008 release ‘Iron Man’ helped launch a slightly successful cinematic universe.

And these days, the odds are even more stacked against it; star Smith rebuilding his career following the Oscar slap incident of three years ago (in his defense, he’s certainly seen success with the likes of ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’) and audiences in general have begun to tire of the endless parade of super-beings on screen, with even the latest Marvel releases –– aside from the blip that was ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ –– no longer putting up the giant box office of years past.

Still, that isn’t stopping famed hype man Smith from talking up the latest development on a sequel to the movie about an alcoholic superhero who causes more trouble than he helps.

As reported by Deadline, the actor appeared on Canadian influencer xQc’s live stream on Twitch and answered some fan questions.

Hancock

"There are heroes. There are superheroes. And then there's Hancock."

PG-131 hr 32 minJul 1st, 2008

Watch Hancock Online

Among them? One about the ongoing potential of a new outing for Hancock. Here’s what he said:

“There’s a really cool ‘Hancock 2’ idea. We haven’t even talked about it.”

But he wasn’t done. There was also the requisite Big Celebrity Name to drop:

“I’m going to give you one little piece. Zendaya is being approached for a role in ‘Hancock 2.’ ”

Whether or not that turns out to be fanciful thinking remains to be seen. Smith is still something of a force in Hollywood, but Zendaya is no slouch in the power department and doesn’t have to say yes to just any role.

Plus, it’s not as if she doesn’t already have a good superhero gig going thanks to her role as MJ in the lucrative ‘Spider-Man’ franchise, and she also has a busy schedule right now between new ‘Euphoria’ filming, Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ and the fourth Spidey instalment.

Right now, it sounds like Smith is more putting the name out into the world as a way to try and manifest her involvement.

What was the story of the 2008 movie?

Will Smith in 'Hancock'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

The action-comedy stars Smith as John Hancock, a disheveled superhero with extraordinary powers but a troubled, reckless attitude. Despite his ability to fly and immense strength, Hancock is disliked by the public due to his destructive methods of saving lives, which often cause collateral damage.

The film takes a turn when Hancock saves the life of a public relations executive, Ray Embrey (Bateman), who offers to help improve Hancock’s image.

As they work together, Hancock’s past is revealed, including his connection to Ray's wife, Mary (Theron), who harbors secrets of her own. The story explores themes of redemption, accountability, and the complexity of heroism.

In the climax, Hancock learns about his true origins and the nature of his powers, leading to a confrontation with bank robber Red Parker (Eddie Marsan).

The original script was written by Vy Vincent Ngo in 1996. It languished in development hell for years with various directors attached, including Tony Scott, Michael Mann (who would later co-produce the film), Jonathan Mostow and Gabriele Muccino.

Berg was the one to finally get it to screens, with a fresh script draft from ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Better Call Saul’ creator Vince Gilligan.

Smith described his title character as follows:

“Hancock is not your average superhero. Every day he wakes up mad at the world. He doesn't remember what happened to him and there's no one to help him find the answers.”

Hancock: Comments on the Sequel

Will Smith in 'Hancock'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

Talk of a ‘Hancock’ sequel has been floating around since the original movie’s release, with Berg excitedly announcing in 2009 that “everyone” –– presumably Smith, Bateman and Theron –– would want to return for the sequel.

Yet in 2012, with little sign of forward movement, he was putting the delay down to an issue of getting schedules in sync while talking to Comicbookmovie.com:

“We’ve been talking about the sequel between us, Will Smith, [producers] Michael Mann and Akiva Goldsman and myself. We’re all interested, but we literally just have trouble getting into the same room at the same time. We did have a series of meetings last year and started to hash out an idea for sequel — and Will Smith actually had the idea — so I think it will happen, it’s just a question of timing.”

Finally, Theron was asked about the possibility of showing up for the new movie, but seemed to still be interested when asked by ComicBook:

“You know, for a while we [talked about a sequel]. I think closer to when the movie came out, but not in recent years, no. We’ll be super heroes with our walkers, you know. And I’ll still go! I’ll still make that movie; I would do it in a heartbeat.”

When will the ‘Hancock’ sequel be in theaters?

Will Smith in 'Hancock'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

Hold on there, don’t get too excited. Despite his seeming road-to-rehabilitation image and remaining megastar influence, Will Smith saying a movie is back in the works does not mean it’ll actually get made.

And given the scheduling issues, we wouldn’t expect any completed movie much before 2027 at the earliest.

We’d guess Sony would be the ones to release it when it is finished, given that the original arrived via Columbia Pictures.