Why Timothy Olyphant didn’t return for Hitman: Agent 47

2007s Hitman is an adaptation of the beloved stealth video game and was Timothy Olyphant’s first leading movie role, but Olyphant never returned for the 2015 follow-up, Hitman: Agent 47. The first movie follows Agent 47, a cloned super-assassin who uses stealth mechanics and creative methods to take out his targets. The game is often seen as a perfect story for a movie adaptation. Unfortunately, the 2007 Hitman The film did not impress critics or fans of the game.

While the video game movie was negatively received, with a poor 16% on Rotten Tomatoes, Olyphant’s killer performance was among the few rewarding elements. He played Agent 47 with the typical coolness seen in the video games, but unfortunately, Oliphant did not return for Hitman: Agent 47. Instead, Rupert Friend played the silent assassin in the sequel, and it was jarringly different from the original Hitman. Hitman: Agent 47 Certainly took a hit at the box office, and that may have been partly due to Oliphant’s absence, but there is a reason why he was replaced.

The Hitman series was rebooted instead to make a direct sequel

Oliphant expressed disinterest in the role

Hitman was technically a financial success, as it had a budget of $24 million and made over $101 million (via Box Office Mojo). However, because the movie had a poor reception from critics and fans, the studio considered a reboot to be the best way forward for the franchise. The reboot also seems to be a result of Olyphant’s reluctance to return to the series.

The actor notes that he is not interested in returning to the world Hitman And didn’t even want to be part of the first movie. Oliphant revealed that he hated making enemies Hitman And took the role of fear of losing his house when his series Deadwood was suddenly cancelled, noting:

“They’re like, ‘Do you want to read the script?’ I said, ‘I get it. I’m in, I just bought a house. didn’t you hear? They just canceled my f***ing show. Yes, I will do that.’

Fortunately, Oliphant’s career did not suffer from stepping away from the franchise. Not long after his Hitman Oliphant played another leading man on television with Justified, a show that gave him one of his most iconic performances in Raylan Givens. Since then, Olyphant has remained a popular actor, popping up in hit shows like Fargo And The Mandalorian As well as acclaimed movies like Once upon a time in Hollywood. He will next be seen in the series Alien: Earth.

Hitman is rebooted 8 years after the original movie

Paul Walker was attached to the role before his death

Hitman: Agent 47 Followed Hitman By eight years, basically resulting from canceled sequels and failed casts. Two years later Hitmanthe notice, Hitman 2 is announced with Kyle Ward penning the script (via Isn’t it cool news), but quickly ended due to the lack of fanfare and Oliphant’s hesitancy which led to some major changes. A reboot was developed with Paul Walker originally hired to replace OlyphantBut that resulted in more delays when Walker tragically died (by term).

Rupert Friend was brought in to replace Walker, but the end result was another failed attempt to move the franchise forward. Hitman: Agent 47 managed to get an even lower Rotten Tomatoes score than the first movie by 8%, while failing to outgross the original with $82 million worldwide despite a bigger budget (via Box Office Mojo).

Which hitman actor was better?

No movie represents the potential of the video game

Although there are a lot of fans who are eagerly waiting for a movie adaptation of the popular video game, with two Hitman Movies now made, not would be recommended by a large majority of the fandom. Those who loved the games often criticized both films for failing to capture the fun and dark humor of the games, choosing instead to make a standard action movie. however, When it comes to those who aren’t necessarily invested in the games, the 2007 version is seen as the best.

While 2007s Hitman Is not a great movie by any means, viewers can still have fun with it. Hitman: Agent 47 is a by-the-numbers killer movie with uninspired action, but 2007’s Hitman is a silly and illogical mess that at least leans into some of its cheesier elements in order to make it entertaining. There is a competence to this action movie that, although possibly unintentional, stops it from being boring.

Another of its bright spots is Timothy Olyphant’s performance as Agent 47. The character isn’t one that gives the actors a lot of room to make interesting choices, but Olyphant’s icy and stoic demeanor feels better suited than Rupert Friend’s take on the Character. Although there are far better killer movies than either Hitman Movie, the 2007 version is the best option of the franchise so far.

Will there ever be a third Hitman film?

Could Hitman return to the small screen?

While 2007s Hitman Has some good qualities, fans have been waiting years for a Hitman movie that does justice to the game. However, the franchise continues to struggle to come together. A third Hitman The movie was initially planned which would have been a sequel to Hitman: Agent 47. However, the movie was scrapped in 2019 during the Disney-Fox merger. Still, there is hope for the franchise to make a comeback.

with Hitman: Agent 47 Not being much of a success, it seems unlikely that a third movie is coming. However, Timothy Olyphant is a bigger star now than he was in 2007, so it’s possible there could be interest in bringing him back. But given that he wasn’t interested in the role decades ago, it seems unlikely that he would be eager to return. That would suggest Hitman 3 There would have to be another reboot with yet another new actor taking on the role.

Another option for the future of the franchise is a TV show. Video game adaptations on TV have been a big hit lately with the likes of The last of us And Fallout. It was a Hitman show on Hulu planned at one point, but it didn’t move forward. However, it’s easy to see how a story like this could lend itself well to the TV format and could be a more effective step forward rather than another attempt at a Hitman Movie.