With a 10-day gross just $34 million, it might not seem realistic to discuss a sequel for Atomic Blonde. But guess who opened with just a little less in the same time frame and still got a sequel…John Wick ($27 million in 10 days). Both films benefit from a small budget, making it a lot easier to profit from, and Blonde now making more than it cost to produce ($30 million). So, a sequel is probable. In fact, given that Hollywood loves their franchises, it might be a given the moment it makes $35 million, and whatever it does on home release.
The first movie took place as the Berlin Wall fell, and ends with a new decade about to begin. If future films continue with this, these are the best places for Lorraine Broughton to utilize her high heels in.
TWA Flight 800
In 1998, TWA Flight 800 exploded off Long Island. All 230 people on board perished in the third-deadliest aviation accident in U.S. territory. This would be a very tough event to feature in a fictional film and not come off as a very insensitive Die Hard 2 ripoff. The incident could work if it was at the beginning of the film and then Broughton to pick up the pieces and kick ass up and down mid-90’s New York City.
Federal Government Shutdown (1995-1996)
After a budget crisis, the entire government shut down for a few weeks. Can you imagine the anarchy on the other side? All these federal agents without paychecks (which, who knows, could have happened, right?). Sounds like Broughton is going to have to stock up on watering hoses because that’s a lot of disgruntled and deadly employees.
Opening of the English Channel (1994)
The Channel connected England and France, which made it possible for trains to travel between the two countries and significantly helped trade. Someone had to be pissed off somewhere. Atomic Blonde on a boat!
Tokyo Sarin Gas Attack (1995)
This would be a tough story to tell and not trivialize the 12 people that died in the attack, but there is something very iconic about the 1990s era Tokyo. Like with TWA Flight 800, if the tragedy starts off the film and becomes a catalyst for Broughton to solve the mystery, there is an emotional impact to working with actual events.
Hong Kong Reunites with China (1997)
For 100 years, England occupied Hong Kong as a colony. The reuniting of the city to its country could echo themes in the first film. Some Imperialist English guy probably wanted to do something needlessly violent to stop the event.
Clinton Impeachment (1998)
It would really only need to be the backdrop, the way the Berlin Wall was in the first. While the world is distracted by the media uproar of the impeachment, some shady politicians are trying to do something terrible. Atomic Blonde takes on the nation’s capital.
Panama Get the Canal Back (1999)
Again, we have a country reuniting with itself. The U.S. occupied the Canal, but in 1977, President Carter agreed to give the canal back at the end of the century. With the sex appeal of the first film, it would be interesting to how the filmmakers use the tropical environment.
Pakistan and India Test Nuclear Weapons (1998)
Two countries that would be interesting to explore for the time period. Pair Theron up with Naveen Andrews and they’ll kick all kinds of ass. Also, the Atomic in Atomic Blonde gets a lot more literal.
USSR dissolves (1992)
She fought Russians in the first movie, and thanks to Putin and Trump, Russian baddies are back! This time she can go to Moscow and spend more time finding creative weapons to knock the crap out of a KGB officer.
Y2K
We saw her at the end of one decade, let’s see her at the end of the Millenia, when people are freaking out that the world will end and all their computers will stop working because the clocks would set to the year 1900. Wait, is that what we thought would happen? She could shrug at midnight like the rest of us! Crazy fights in a packed New York City. Sounds like fun.
Really though, they can put Boughton at a backyard cookout and it would work.
