After nine years in the making, The Accountant 2 is finally set to release, and it’s a lot different from the first movie. Director Gavin O’Connor and star Ben Affleck return to pick up the story of the brilliant Christian Wolff, who, this time, is joined by his brother Brax (Daredevil: Born Again’s Jon Bernthal). That’s not all though, as J.K. Simmons’ Ray King and Cyntha Addai-Robinson’s Marybeth Media also return.

New to The Accountant 2 cast is Daniella Pineda, who plays Anaïs. As the movie’s antagonist, Pineda was able to add a new villainous role to her resumé, which includes Jurᴀssic World: Fallen Kingdom and American Odyssey. Although Anaïs is a villain, she is also a complex character who is key to some of the film’s most interesting moments.

ScreenRant’s Liam Crowley interviewed The Accountant 2 director Gavin O’Connor and stars Cynthia Addai-Robinson and Daniella Pineda at SXSW. They discussed the long wait for the sequel and what is in store for their characters in the film. Plus, Pineda and Addai-Robinson teased their upcoming projects, including The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3.

The Long Wait For The Accountant 2 Was In Part Due To “Musical Chairs” at Warner Brothers

The Film Was Tied Up At That Studio Until WB Allowed It To Go Elsewhere

The Accountant released in 2016, and director Gavin O’Connor set out trying to make a sequel shortly after. “There was some musical chairs being played at Warner Brothers in regard to the regime changes,” O’Connor began when asked why the wait was so long, “There was Covid, there were lockdowns, there was a strike… so it [had] some starts and stops.”

Affleck is part of the reason why O’Connor was finally able to get the movie off the ground. “Ben started his own studio with Matt [Damon],” O’Conor said. He continued: “I don’t know all the details. I don’t know if Warner Brothers didn’t want to do a co-[finance] or co-studio [deal] … but they very generously allowed us to take the movie elsewhere. The first place we went was Amazon, and we formed a partnership with them.”

Cynthia Addai-Robinson Teases Marybeth’s New Journey In The Accountant 2

“A Different Experience Overall”

The trailer for The Accountant 2 kills off Simmons’ Ray King, who Marybeth Medina worked closely with in the first film. “He is there, and I’m not totally on my own,” Addai-Robinson said when asked how it was to work without Simmons, “but it was nice to feel an evolution both for Marybeth as a character and for me as a person, because eight, going on nine years have elapsed between the first [film] and the second.”

“For me,” Addai-Robinson continued, “The excitement was not just getting to see J.K. again–although [in] a very different set of circumstances from the first movie–but getting to work with Ben and Jon and Daniella and just having a different experience overall.”

Later in the interview, Addai-Robinson elaborated on a big part of that different experience: “In the first movie, I didn’t get to work with Ben. I didn’t get to work with Jon. I just got to sort of admire their work from afar.” In The Accountant 2, Marybeth Medina is very much in the mix with the Wolff brothers.

“I’m like the straight man between these two interesting brothers,” Addai-Robinson stated, “just trying to square my sense of what I define as getting justice [and] following the rule of law with their version of that … but one of the things that really resonates with me in terms of the story we’re telling is this relationship between brothers and family and watching that play out.”

That dynamic is one of the story’s most engaging aspects, the actor said: “It’s complicated, as it always is with family, and I think that is really going to resonate with audiences.”

Daniella Pineda Hypes Up Anäis

“I’m In My Villain Stage Now”

Pineda began her segment of the interview by introducing her coat, which was named Fernando after the film’s stunt coordinator to, in Pineda’s words, “give you a really kick-ᴀss fight scene.” Pineda went on to share her excitement about playing Anäis: “I’m in my villain stage now in my career, which I didn’t think would ever happen. It’s a part that I’ve never gotten to play … I had my audition, and I was scared to death, [but] I was like ‘Man, if I get this, this is going to be so fun.’”

O’Connor jumped in: “[Daniella has] an intelligence about here, and there’s also a mysterious quality to her … she wasn’t letting me entirely in, which I thought was really good. And there were other qualities that I was looking for that I can’t talk about right now. [But] we spent some time together, we played with the scenes … and we had some really, I thought, important conversations about the character.”

“She’s a villain,” Pineda added, “but it’s definitely a complex character.”

The Accountant 3 Is In The Works

O’Connor Reveals Amazon’s Excitement About Making The Franchise A Trilogy

When asked when audiences will get The Accountant “cubed” (a play on The Accountant 2’s logo), O’Connor said the following about changing the logo for the sequel, and the possibility of a threequel: “That was important to me, and I was very happy that Amazon embraced that. We were always calling it The Accountant squared. [The Accountant 3] won’t take eight years.”

Addai-Robnson & Pineda Discuss Their Big Upcoming Projects

From The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power To Dora The Explorer

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 goes into production later this year, and Addai-Robinson is set to reprise her series role as Tar-Míriel. “I’m very excited,” the actor began, “By the time I go back, believe it or not, it will have been almost two years since I wrapped the second season.” She went on to say, “I am excited to go back to Middle-Earth. It’s a huge shift … I don’t really know what awaits me when I return, but I’m definitely going to be happy to see everybody.”

When Pineda was asked if she would be returning to Jurᴀssic World this summer, she gave an unfortunate, but hopeful update: “I’m not in this next one, but who knows? However, I will say I am a major character in the next Dora the Explorer movie, so watch out.”

Director Paul Feig steps into the world of sequel-making with Another Simple Favor, which is coming soon to Prime Video. Starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, the movie picks up after the events of the 2018 comedy thriller A Simple Favor and Kendrick’s Stephanie Smothers reuniting with Lively’s Emily Nelson for Emily’s destination wedding. Naturally, murder is in the cards as the characters are once more thrust into a situation in desperate need of unraveling.

As a director and producer, Feige generally avoids making sequels, which is likely a big part of why his resume is stacked with widely appreciated one-off comedies. Feig was behind the camera for instant classics including Heat, Spy, and Bridesmaids, and continues to chase unique concepts for projects like 2024’s Jackpot! Still, ScreenRant’s Another Simple Favor review has praised Feig’s sequel and the continued on-screen chemistry of Kendrick and Lively.

ScreenRant’s Liam Crowley spoke with Paul Feig about his work on Another Simple Favor at ScreenRant’s SXSW suite. The director spoke about his hesitation in returning for a squeal and reflected on the relationship between Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick’s characters. Plus, Feig offered a tease of what audiences can expect from his upcoming film with Sydney Sweeney, Housemaid.

Feig Addresses The Romantic Undertones In Emily & Stephanie’s Relationship

“There’s Always Been That Question”

The on-screen relationship between Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick may leave some viewers wondering if something deeper is going on between the characters. “There’s always been that question, even in the first one, of ‘How much do they really like each other? Is there some kind of attraction between them?’” said Feig. “It’s very vague, and I’d like to leave it that way.”

That said, Feig stated that Lively and Kendrick “have a natural chemistry both as characters and actors that comes across, and you can’t tamp that down.” He shared his excitement about the pair, saying, “When they get together in their scenes, it’s just amazing. They’re really good friends away from the set, so it is really nice to have them back together. I just love working with the two of them. They were the main reason I wanted to do a sequel because I just want to [keep] working with them.”

Paul Feig Had A Tough (But Fun) Time Developing Another Simple Favor

“Sequels Are Kind Of Scary”

A Simple Favor was adapted from Darcey Bell’s book of the same name by screenwriter Jessica Sharzer. For Another Simple Favor, Feig and Sharzer had to work beyond the bounds of Bell’s original concept. “It was really fun to develop,” Feig said, before adding, “I mean, it was tough. I don’t normally do sequels, and sequels are kind of scary. Especially if people really like the first one, which is the only reason you get to make a sequel, you don’t want to let them down.”

“You also don’t want to copy the first one,” Feig continued, “so, you have to figure out, ‘Where are we going to put these characters and let people discover new things about them?’ The nice thing about a movie the first time [that] you’re discovering characters. For the sequel, you already know who they are.”

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Another Simple Favor Review: I Had A Ridiculously Fun Time Watching Blake Lively & Anna Kendrick Banter In Stakeless Paul Feig Sequel

With Another Simple Favor, Feig has managed to make a fun, delightfully ridiculous film where Kendrick & Lively shine.

In making Another Simple Favor, Feig decided to lean more heavily into the movie’s comedic aspects. “I didn’t want to shy away from it,” the director said, “The funny thing about the first one is that nobody knew it had comedy in it, so it was a slow burn of the audience going, ‘Oh, I think this is actually supposed to be funny at times.’” But that didn’t mean it was all just for laughs: “At the same time, the stakes are real, the danger’s real, [and] the emotions are real.”

“Since we know these characters already now,” Feig said, “we want to take them to a more extreme, different place, and that allows you to be a little more out there with the comedy.”

Feig Already Has An Idea For A Simple Favor 3

“I Know Where I’d Like It To Go”

Feig shared extra good news for fans of A Simple Favor who are eagerly anticipating Another SImple Favor: “Hopefully, [we’re] going to make a third one.” As to what the story would be, “I’ve got a nice thing in mind,” said the director, continuing, “It could be three movies in this story. So, yeah. I know where I’d like it to go.”

The director also reflected on the trickiness inherent in sequel- or threequel-making: “The timing of a sequel is a weird thing … either you wait too long and people are like, ‘Why are you doing that?’ or you do it too soon, and it seems like you just rushed it together.” So, Feig may not have a timeline set, but hopefully he knows more than he let on with a final, “We’ll see.”

Spy & Jackpot! Would Also “Be Best Served” With Sequels

Feig Is Currently Writing The Story For Spy 2

Feig weighed in on some other potential sequels to projects he’s done. When told that a sequel to his 2024 film Jackpot! Would be much appreciated, Feig responded with “You made my day with that. That was so much fun. I love Jackpot! The critics didn’t like it, but I loved it … I already know what I want the story for Jackpot! 2 to be.” Jackpot! star John Cena would be open to making a sequel, too. When asked, Feig said, “Oh, yeah, totally. We had so much fun. John and Nora and I just had the best time.”

A Jackpot! sequel may be mostly hypothetical at this point, but a follow-up to 2015’s action comedy film Spy is closer to reality. “I’ve been working on the story,” Feig said. “I’m not going to go try to make all my movies into sequels,” the director clarified, “I like doing original things and new ideas, but I would say that those two would probably be the ones best served by another sequel.”

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The Housemaid Is “Definitely A Heavier Story” Than Another Simple Favor

Feig Hypes Up His Upcoming Sydney Sweeney Thriller

One of Paul Feig’s next upcoming movies is The Housemaid, a psychological thriller starring Sydney Sweeney and Brandon Sklenar. “We wrapped production on it about two weeks ago,” Feig said, offering an update, “and I’m really excited about it. I go into the editing room on Monday and we come out at Christmas.” He continued: “So far, from what we sH๏τ, it came out great. We’re going to see how it cuts together. But between Sydney and Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar, [it’s] an amazing group of people to work with.”

“I look at the Simple Favor movies as being thrillers too,” Feig said, “They’ve got kind of a black comedy bed to them.” But, he clarified, “The Housemaid is definitely a heavier story.”

Check out our other SXSW 2025 interviews here:

• The Ballad of Wallis Island
• Another Simple Favor
• American Sweatshop
• The Accountant 2
• Surviving Earth
• The Threesome
• The Astronaut
• O’Dessa
• Sweetness
• The Studio
• It Ends
• How Was Your Weekend?
• Bella Ramsey & The Last of Us
• Pedro Pascal & The Last of Us

Source: Screen Rant Plus