We heard so much about the bad year Ben Affleck had (Does anybody remember Live by Night? Did that really happen?) that we forget he did have one hit. The Accountant, the modestly-budgeted action flick with the kooky autism/hitman/financial wiz angle, made over $150M worldwide, mostly on Affleck's name. And Warner Bros., who are always keen to be in the Affleck business, want to see if they have a franchise on their hands.
Affleck, director Gavin O'Connor, and writer Bill Dubuque are getting back together for The Accountant 2. They're also hoping to lure Jon Bernthal back, as well, but nothing on whether J.K. Simmons or Anna Kendrick might return. Probably not. No word on the plot, either, but this we're talking about an autistic assassin who also cooks the books for the criminal underworld. Basically this thing could go anywhere.
This is kind of a big move for Warner Bros., who tend to only sequelize their known properties. Clearly they say potential in that to happen with The Accountant, so expect them to try and fit this in whenever O'Connor and Affleck's schedules align. [Deadline]
