Well, today is no longer a good day, it's a great day because Ryan Reynolds has announced that Walt Disney Studios is keen on developing a sequel to his critically acclaimed action-comedy Free Guy, which opened in theaters yesterday and is already exceeding box office tracking with a projected $26 million opening.
He writes, "Aaaannnnd after 3 years messaging #FreeGuy as an original IP movie, Disney confirmed today they officially want a sequel. Woo hoo! #irony.”
Director Shawn Levy responded to the news with a big, "Yuuuuuuuup," so it seems likely he'll be back to helm the follow-up whenever it heads into production. It's still too early for casting news, but expect Jodie Comer, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Joe Keery, and Taika Waititi to also reprise their roles.
Free Guy is currently boasting an 81% Certified Fresh certification review aggregator RottenTomatoes and has also earned a rare "A" CinemaScore, which makes it one of the best-received films of the year.
As for when a sequel could hypothetically begin production, Reynolds has already wrapped both Red Notice and The Adam Project (also with Levy) for Netflix and is currently filming the musical comedy Spirited. He's also been tapped to star in Everyday Parenting Tips and Clue, although the development status on those remains TBD, and he has been heavily rumored to begin production on Marvel Studios' Deadpool 3 at some point next year. So, it seems like a potential Free Guy sequel may not roll cameras until 2023, at the earliest, barring any unforeseen developments.