Old Guard gets new director as Victoria Mahoney takes over Netflix action sequel
Original director Gina Prince-Bythewood declined to direct The Old Guard 2
The Old Guard is set to get some new blood, as Netflix confirmed today that Victoria Mahoney is set to take over directing duties on the Charlize Theron-starring action sequel. Said news comes after original Old Guard director Gina Prince-Bythewood—still probably best known for Love And Basketball—announced that she was passing on direction of the second installment of the comic book adaptation. That being said, Prince-Bythewood was effusive in praise for the project, stating that:
I love The Old Guard and the story and characters I was honored to put into the world. 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.
Although she debuted with the Zoë Kravitz-starring Yelling At The Sky back in 2011, Mahoney has worked largely in the realm of TV since, directing episodes of Lovecraft Country, Claws, Grey’s Anatomy, and a number of other high-profile shows. In terms of big budget action directing, her biggest credit comes from Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker, where she served as second unit director.
Netflix, franchise-hungry as ever, has made it clear it would like as much Old Guard as it can get; the original film, about a crew of soldier of fortune it would be kind of reductive to describe as “an immortal version of the A-Team” (but which were kind of like an immortal version of the A-Team), was a decent-sized hit last year for a streamer that’s always had a bit of trouble getting big-budget action films to catch any traction. (Wither Bright 2?!) Theron has said that there’s already a script completed for the sequel, and now that a director has been lined up, it seems likely that it’ll hit the late-2021 filming date it’s been angling toward.