Sylvester Stallone, the quintessential action star, has left an indelible mark on cinema with iconic franchises like Rocky, First Blood, and The Expendables, as Netflix shows in its new documentary titled Sly. So, when Prime Video unveiled Samaritan, featuring Stallone as a superhero, fans were intrigued. Despite receiving lackluster reviews from critics, the movie struck a chord with audiences, reigning as the top film on the subscription platform for three consecutive weeks.
In a notable move, Amazon’s MGM Studios, encouraged by Samaritan’s strong audience reception, has given the green light for a sequel, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Stallone is set to reprise his role as the protagonist, and Bragi F. Schut, the mastermind behind the first film, will once again craft the script for the sequel.
Samaritan’s synopsis gives insight into the story. It reads, “Thirteen-year-old Sam Cleary suspects that his mysterious and reclusive neighbor Mr. Smith is actually a legend hiding in plain sight. Twenty-five years ago, Granite City’s super-powered vigilante, Samaritan, was reported dead after a fiery warehouse battle with his rival, Nemesis.”
“Most believe Samaritan perished in the fire, but some in the city, like Sam, have hope that he is still alive. With crime on the rise and the city on the brink of chaos, Sam makes it his mission to coax his neighbor out of hiding to save the city from ruin.”
News of a Samaritan sequel will come as a surprise to many people, including fans and critics. For one, the movie made its debut over a year ago and within that period, there was no indication that Amazon was considering a sequel. There’s also the horrendous critical reviews, although we doubt fans will care much about that. For many of them, seeing Stallone as a grizzled, old superhero is enough to come back for seconds.
Contrary to what many people might think, Samaritan isn’t Stallone’s first foray into the superhero scene. That honor belongs to Judge Dredd, which saw the actor portray a superpowered clone cop who was also judge, jury, and executioner. His mask in Samaritan even resembles his mask in Judge Dredd, with man fans speculating it is a nod to the earlier film. He has also had appearances, albeit minimal, in The Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Samaritan is adapted from the Mythos Comics graphic novels that Schut, Marc Olivent, and Renzo Podesta developed. At the moment, Schut and Stallone are the only two people confirmed to return as The Hollywood Reporter didn’t provide information on any other member of the cast or crew. However, the report stated that Stallone will also return as a producer, as is his partner Braden Aftergood, under the banner of his Balboa Productions company.
The dearth of information about other members of the cast is likely due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike which has made it difficult for studios to hold talks with actors and grounded productions like Beetlejuice 2. If you are wondering, “How come Stallone is onboard?” The answer is that he signed on before the actors’ strike began.
Given this sad fact, there is no telling when production will begin on the film, talk more of when it will make its release. Fortunately, both SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP are working hard to reach an agreement and fans will be hoping they do so soon.
In the meantime, fans of the superhero genre can keep their appetites whetted with Amazon’s ongoing superhero series Gen V. The show, a spinoff of The Boys, was recently renewed for a second season after it broke records on the streaming platform.
