The sequel to Netflix's hit comic book film The Old Guard has found its director in Victoria Mahoney.

According to Deadline, Mahoney has signed on to directed The Old Guard 2, which will see Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Veronica Ngo and Chiwetel Ejiofor reprise their roles from the first film. Mahoney has become one of Hollywood's more in-demand directors since serving as second unit director on J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which made her both the first woman and the first Black woman to direct a Star Wars movie.

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"Genuinely blown backwards by the collective levels of talent, skill and savvy that went into carving The Old Guard," Mahoney said. "I must've watched it over a hundred times, and as such, cannot communicate the true measure of my excitement -- being invited on The Old Guard journey alongside ferocious badasses. Ever eager to continue pushing the genre for action-loving audiences. Warmly tipping my hat to the world Gina, Charlize, Rucka, Fernández, Skydance, Netflix, Marc Evans Productions, Denver & Delilah Films and the entire Team daringly put forward."

Mahoney replaces Gina Prince-Bythewood, who directed the first Old Guard. Prince-Bythewood opted not to return for the sequel, as the first film's success led to a number of new jobs, most notably Sony's The Woman King, which stars Viola Davis and Thuso Mbedu. "I love The Old Guard and the story and characters I was honored to put into the world," Prince-Bythewood said. "It was exciting to disrupt the genre. I have decided not to direct the sequel, but will stay on as a producer. I leave our franchise in good hands as my girl Vic Mahoney takes on this next chapter."

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Based on the comic book of the same name by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernández, The Old Guard follows a group of immortal mercenaries on a quest for revenge. Featuring a screenplay by Rucka, the film premiered on July 10, 2020. Netflix reported that the film was viewed in approximately 72 million households during its first four weeks in release, placing it among the streaming platform's top 10 original launches in history. Netflix officially greenlit a sequel back in January of this year, with star Charlize Theron confirming in June that The Old Guard 2 was slated to being filming early next year.

Source: Deadline