Updates, Story Details, Will It Happen?
For years, fans have been eagerly awaiting a sequel to the 2018 spy thriller Mile 22. However, despite initial plans for a trilogy, it seems that the franchise may be on hold. The film, directed by Peter Berg and starring Mark Wahlberg, received negative reviews and struggled at the box office, earning just $66 million on a budget of up to $60 million.
Before the movie even hit theaters, STX Entertainment announced that a sequel was in the works, to be written by Umair Aleem. However, with the studio selling off its movie library to cover debts, it’s unclear if the sequel will ever be made. There have been no official announcements of cancellation, but the lack of progress on the project has left fans uncertain.
If the sequel does go ahead, it is likely to pick up where the original left off, with Wahlberg’s character James Silva and his team facing new enemies and challenges. However, Wahlberg himself has expressed more interest in returning to The Fighter, a movie he believes has more potential for a sequel.
With the film industry adjusting to new distribution models, it’s possible that the Mile 22 sequel could find new life with a streaming service like Netflix. However, as of now, it seems that the project is on indefinite hold. Fans will have to wait and see if James Silva will return for another mission.
A Mile 22 sequel has been in the works for multiple years, but it still hasn’t moved forward yet. Peter Berg’s 94-minute spy thriller was released in the summer of 2018 and was heavily criticized. The director previously collaborated with Mark Wahlberg for several hit films; however, the negative reviews for Mile 22 suggested the duo missed the mark and didn’t create enough buzz to warrant a sequel. Mile 22 follows an elite CIA squad led by James Silva (Wahlberg) escorting an asset on a 22-mile journey. Needless to say, things don’t go as planned with Silva and his team facing dangerous enemies every step of the way.
Director Pete Berg and Wahlberg previously collaborated a number of times, most recently with Spenser: Confidentialbased on the Richard B. Parker Spenser For Hire book series. Their previous relatively low-budget productions such as Lone Survivor and Patriots Day earned solid reviews and box-office results, but Mile 22 was certainly not their most successful movie together. Produced for between $35-60 million, Mile 22 barely outperformed its budget with a $66 million box office haul (via Box Office Mojo). Berg has also not directed a movie since Mile 22 in 2018. So it’s possible that’s why a Mile 22 sequel is taking so long.
A Mile 22 Sequel Was In Development Before The Movie Released
Two months before Mile 22 was released in August 2018 and before the meager box office results were known, STX Entertainment announced that Extraction writer Umair Aleem was hired to write the Mile 22 sequel. The initial announcement came from STX Entertainment, and it was reported that Mile 22 was intended to launch a trilogy (via Variety). However, in the years since that news was first announced, STX Entertainment sold off its movie library in order to cover its debts. It’s unclear how the news affected the Mile 22 sequel, but the studio seems to have moved on.
Has The Mile 22 Sequel Been Canceled?
Years after the initial Mile 22 sequel announcement, it’s unclear if the film will ever be made. The negative reviews of the first installment may have forced STX Entertainment to re-evaluate their plans for a Mile 22 trilogy, so 2019 may have involved pre-production tweaks as well as changes to the screenplay. With this being a shaky franchise start already, Mile 22 Part 2 seemed like it could suffer the same fate as Mark Wahlberg’s canceled sequel based on the ending of The Departed. In the years since, there has been no confirmation that the Mile 22 sequel was actually canceled leaving at least some lingering hope for fans of the original.
For Mark Wahlberg, it isn’t even the main sequel that he wants to see released. While there are still some fans who want to see a Mile 22 sequel, and the sequel following The Departed is one that many people might want to see, it is a very different movie that Wahlberg would like to see continued. Wahlberg said if he returned to any film world from his past, it is the David O. Russell movie The Fighter that has the best chance to lure him back into the world.
“I was never really in the sequel business. But The Fighter really lent itself for another movie because of Micky and Arturo Gotti’s trilogy. I’m always kind of looking for the next thing. But if the audience really wants it, and they really love it, and we can make one better than the first then I’d be willing to do it again, for sure.”
With those comments, it doesn’t sound like Wahlberg is fighting for a Mile 22 sequel, as he doesn’t seem to see the allure of them and just wants to find something new to act in for each movie. However, while he wants to see a sequel to The Fighter and fans might want a Mile 22 sequel, the one that will end up happening next is a sequel to Spenser: Confidential. That was a huge hit on Netflix, with over 197 million hours streamed, and is the one that actually got the money to move on with.
When The Mile 22 Sequel’s Release Date Could Be
Now that the movie industry appears to be moving forward and embracing a streaming distribution model alongside theatrical releases, the Mile 22 sequel could theoretically begin shooting in 2023. In a best-case scenario, the film would release during the end of 2023, but with no real movement on the movie, it feels that scenario gets increasingly unlikely as the year goes on. As of now, STX Entertainment’s plans remain unclear. For his part, Wahlberg has several films currently in the works already, including a possible Uncharted sequel, so it’s possible his hectic schedule might delay things even further on a Mile 22 sequel.
Mile 22 Sequel Story Details
If the Mile 22 sequel does happen, it will presumably pick up right after the events of the original film. The asset, Noor (Iko Uwais) is revealed to be a triple agent who was hired by the Russians to punish Silva (and Overwatch) for killing the son of a high-ranking official (as seen at the beginning of the film). So, Overwatch was doomed from the start. In the Mile 22 sequel, Silva will most likely track down Noor, along with any other enemies who may have betrayed them. The original movie had a high body count as well as some lingering questions about characters who might have survived. However, it is likely both Wahlberg and Uwais would return.
Is The Mile 22 Sequel Still Happening?
Considering that Wahlberg’s sequel to the Oscar-winning movie The Fighter has yet to materialize, the fact the Mile 22 sequel is having a slow production is nothing new for the actor. Though the original movie struggled at the box office, it has found more fans on Netflix which could be what’s keeping the sequel talks alive. However, after some rumors in 2022 of the sequel gaining some traction (via Auralcrave), there has been no new word on when or if it is happening. It’s possible that a streaming service like Netflix could pick up the rights to the franchise and greenlight the sequel, but as of now, it doesn’t seem like the Mile 22 sequel is happening.
