Nobody (2021 film)

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Nobody
A man with many fists flying towards his face
Theatrical release poster
Directed byIlya Naishuller
Written byDerek Kolstad
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPawel Pogorzelski
Edited by
  • William Yeh
  • Evan Schiff
Music byDavid Buckley
Production
companies
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • March 26, 2021 (2021-03-26)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$16 million[1]
Box office$57.5 million[2][3]

Nobody is a 2021 American action thriller film directed by Ilya Naishuller and written by Derek Kolstad. The film, which stars Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Aleksey Serebryakov, RZA, and Christopher Lloyd, follows a mild-mannered family man who returns to his former life of an assassin after he and his family become the target of a vengeful crime lord. Odenkirk and David Leitch are among the film's producers.

Universal Pictures released Nobody theatrically in the United States on March 26, 2021, and in the United Kingdom on June 9, 2021. The film grossed $57 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the action sequences and Odenkirk's performance. A sequel is in development.

Plot[edit]

Hutch Mansell sits inside of an interrogation room, heavily bruised and injured. Two FBI agents interrogate him about his identity, before Hutch responds that he's simply "nobody".

In a flashback, Hutch leads an ordinary, mundane life as an office worker with his emotionally estranged wife Becca, teenage son Blake and young daughter, Abby. One night, two thieves break into their house with a gun. Blake jumps one of them and Hutch picks up a golf club but does not swing. The thieves leave.

Everyone thinks Hutch a failure for not fighting, but he reveals to his brother Harry that he held back because he knew the burglar's gun was unloaded. His brother-in-law Charlie offers Hutch a gun for protection, which he refuses. Hutch offers to buy out his father-in-law Eddie's business, but Eddie considers it a bad offer.

The following evening, Abby realizes her bracelet is missing, so Hutch sets out to find it. Suspecting one of the thieves took it, he recalls seeing a tattoo on one of them and traces it back to a tattoo parlor. Hutch locates the thieves and demands they return the bracelet, but leaves in frustration after realizing they do not have it.

While on a bus heading home, a group of intoxicated thugs board the bus and begin harassing a young woman; Hutch brutally fights them off. Unbeknownst to him, the group's leader, Teddy, is the brother of Yulian Kuznetsov, a Russian crime lord safeguarding the mob's Obshchak money (a common treasury used to settle disputes in the Russian mafia). Hutch breaks Teddy's windpipe before performing a crude tracheotomy with a straw to allow him to breathe, although he falls into a coma.

Hutch returns home and is bandaged by Becca, who knows of his past. He vents his frustrations about living a mundane life to her, before they reaffirm their love for one another. Meanwhile, Yulian manages to identify and locate Hutch using his dropped metro card, so sends a team to his home to capture him while blackmailing a United States Department of Defense official to uncover Hutch's past.

Harry calls Hutch ahead and warns him of Teddy's connection to Yulian. He suggests he check with The Barber, Hutch's former government handler. When the capture team arrives, Hutch hides his family and kills most of the attackers. He is immobilized by an electric taser, and taken by the Russian team.

While being transported in the trunk of a car, Hutch finds and empties a canister of fire suppressant into the car. The driver crashes, killing most of the occupants, and freeing Hutch.

Hutch returns home and reveals that he is a former "auditor", an assassin employed by the United States Intelligence Community. While working as such, Hutch spared a target who later reformed and lived happily with a new family. Wanting a similar life, Hutch retired and settled down.

Hutch sends his family to safety and retrieves his hidden gold and cash; he also finds Abby's bracelet under the couch. He burns their house down to dispose of the dead attackers in the basement and steals his neighbor's Dodge Challenger.

Two assassins attempt to kill Hutch's father David at his retirement home but he is a retired agent himself and cleverly manages to kill them. Hutch uses his gold to buy his father-in-law's metal fabrication factory and booby-traps the entire place. He then goes to burn Yulian's Obshchak money.

Hutch visits Yulian and offers to end the fighting. Yulian also wants out as he cannot re-finance the entire Obshchak. Knowing of Yulian's plans to retire, Hutch suggests a retirement in one of the lesser-known Caribbean islands away from the Russian mafia, while Hutch gets his life back.

However, Yulian and his men pursue Hutch to the factory and surround him nonetheless. Suddenly, Harry and David arrive to assist him, and the trio kill Yulian and the Russian mobsters. The police arrive and the opening scene is revisited, but he is suddenly released without charges following a mysterious phone call.

Three months later, Hutch and his family have returned to normal life and are buying a new house, when Hutch receives a call hinting that more trouble may be on the way.

Cast[edit]

In addition Daniel Bernhardt and Alain Moussi play two of the Russian goons on the bus. J. P. Manoux appears as a Pentagon employee whom Yulian blackmails.

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

In January 2018, it was announced Bob Odenkirk was set to star in the film, with Ilya Naishuller directing from a screenplay by Derek Kolstad. Odenkirk also served as a producer, alongside David Leitch. Kolstad executive produced, along with Marc S. Fischer, Annie Marter and Tobey Maguire.[6] STX Entertainment was set to distribute the film.[7] In April 2019, Universal Pictures acquired distribution rights to the film from STX.[8] In October 2019, Connie Nielsen and Christopher Lloyd also joined the cast.[9]

Filming[edit]

Principal photography began in Los Angeles in September 2019.[10] Production moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba in October 2019.[11] Filming lasted 34 days.[12]

Release[edit]

Theatrical[edit]

Nobody was originally scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on August 14, 2020, by Universal Pictures.[13] After being repeatedly rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[14][15][16] the film was ultimately released in theaters on March 26, 2021.[17] The film was released in the United Kingdom on June 9, 2021.

Home media[edit]

The film was released digitally via premium video-on-demand on April 15, 2021,[18] on digital on June 8, 2021, and on DVD and Blu-Ray on June 22, 2021. The film became available on HBO Max on January 21, 2022, and as part of the streaming deal for Universal Pictures, the film permanently left the library on March 31, 2023.[19]

Reception[edit]

Box office[edit]

Nobody grossed $27.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $29.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $57.5 million, against a production budget of $16 million.[3][2]

A week prior to its United States release, Variety estimated the film would gross around $5 million in its opening weekend, compared to its expectation that it would open to around $15 million in a pre-COVID marketplace.[20] The film made $2.5 million on its first day,[12] and went on to debut to $6.7 million, topping the box office. 62% of the audience was male, with 56% being under the age of 35.[21][1] The film fell 56% to $3 million in its second weekend, finishing third.[22]

Critical response[edit]

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 84% of 282 critics have given the film a positive review, with an average rating of 7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Nobody doesn't break any new ground for the genre, but this viscerally violent thriller smashes, shatters, and destroys plenty of other things – all while proving Bob Odenkirk has what it takes to be an action star."[23] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100 based on 43 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[24] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported 83% of audience members gave it a positive score, with 69% saying they would definitely recommend it.[12]

The Hollywood Reporter's John DeFore praised the film's "enjoyably absurd violence", and wrote, "Taking itself much less seriously than the Taken series and its predecessors, it's a wish-fulfillment romp just as ludicrous as any of them but more fun than most."[25] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, writing, "Most impressive of all is Odenkirk, who looks and sounds nothing like an action star until it's time for Hutch to become an action star, and we totally believe this physically unimpressive, normally mild-mannered guy as a simmering cauldron of rage who could take that teapot over there and kill ya with it."[26]

Future[edit]

Sequel[edit]

In March 2021, Connie Nielsen expressed interest in reprising her role for a sequel. The actress stated that she would like to learn more about Hutch and Becca's backstory, while stating that discussions regarding how the two characters met took place on the set of the first movie.[27] In June of the same year, it was announced that Kolstad was in the process of writing a sequel, although it had yet to be green-lit by the studio.[28] In March 2022, 87North Productions announced on social media that the studio was looking forward to working on Nobody 2, though no official production date was announced at that time.[29] By August of the same year, Leitch confirmed that work on the script was ongoing, while stating that the studio had committed to releasing a sequel.[30]

In December 2022, McCormick announced that a sequel was officially happening, with principal photography scheduled for 2023.[31][32] In January 2024, Nielsen confirmed that developments on the sequel were ongoing while confirming that she will reprise her role from the first installment.[33] In March 2024, producer David Leitch confirmed production was set to begin by the end of 2024.[34]

Potential crossover[edit]

In March 2021, Kolstad was asked about the potential for a crossover between the John Wick franchise and Nobody. As the films are distributed by different companies (Lionsgate and Universal, respectively), Kolstad indicated this was unlikely and stated the franchises were "very different"; at most, he would like to see it done in a small and subtle Easter egg-reference manner.[35] Later that month, director Ilya Naishuller was asked about a potential crossover and, pointing out that two different studios are involved, said "That's all I'll say. I mean, everything's possible. Stranger things have definitely happened, but... yeah."[36]

In June of 2021, Kolstad stated that if there were any crossover, he would prefer it in a minimalist fashion, and opined that he would prefer John Wick and Hutch Mansell be on the same side should the characters share more screen time.[37]

Remakes[edit]

The 2023 Tamil language cult film Jailer, starring Rajinikanth, Vinayakan, Shiva Rajkumar and Mohanlal among others, is believed to be a loose freemake of this film.[38]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Rubin, Rebecca (March 28, 2021). "Box Office: Bob Odenkirk's 'Nobody' Debuts to No. 1 as 'Godzilla vs. Kong' Roars Overseas". Variety. Archived from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Nobody (2021)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Nobody (2021)". The Numbers. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  4. ^ Tallerico, Brian (March 25, 2021). "Nobody". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on August 16, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  5. ^ Willmore, Alison (March 25, 2021). "Nobody Is Just Good Enough Thanks to Bob Odenkirk". Vulture.com. Archived from the original on August 16, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  6. ^ "Nobody: February 19, 2021". Universal Pictures. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  7. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (January 11, 2018). "Bob Odenkirk To Produce & Star In STX Action Thriller 'Nobody' From 'Atomic Blonde', 'John Wick' Producers". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  8. ^ Kroll, Justin (April 22, 2019). "'Hobbs & Shaw' Director David Leitch, Kelly McCormick Sign First-Look Deal With Universal (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on September 29, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  9. ^ Sneider, Jeff (October 14, 2019). "Exclusive: Christopher Lloyd, Connie Nielsen Join Bob Odenkirk in Action-Thriller 'Nobody'". Collider. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  10. ^ "Nobody". Production List. July 29, 2019. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  11. ^ Charron, Jeremie (October 6, 2019). "Film starring Bob Odenkirk and Christopher Lloyd to shoot in Winnipeg in October". CTV News. Archived from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  12. ^ a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 27, 2021). "'Nobody' Opening To No. 1 With 'A-' CinemaScore; Director Ilya Naishuller On Redefining Action Genre With Bob Odenkirk Pic – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 29, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  13. ^ Couch, Aaron (September 19, 2019). "Universal Sets Bob Odenkirk Action Thriller 'Nobody' for August 2020". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  14. ^ McClintock, Pamela (April 7, 2020). "Universal Bumps 'Nobody' to Winter, Delays M. Night Shyamalan's Untitled Film". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 7, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  15. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 10, 2020). "Universal's Bob Odenkirk Action Thriller 'Nobody' Now Going A Week Later". Deadline. Archived from the original on July 9, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  16. ^ Jackson, Angelique (January 22, 2021). "Universal Sets New Release Dates for Bob Odenkirk's 'Nobody,' Edgar Wright's 'Last Night in Soho'". Variety. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  17. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 22, 2021). "Bob Odenkirk Action Movie 'Nobody' Opening Earlier". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  18. ^ Sledge, Philip (April 2, 2021). "Nobody Streaming: How To Watch The Bob Odenkirk Movie". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  19. ^ Salazar, Andrew (March 6, 2023). "New Arrivals for HBO Max March 2023". Discussing Film. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  20. ^ Eriksen, Kaare (March 19, 2021). "'Godzilla vs. Kong' Poised to Be Pandemic's Best Performer Yet at U.S. Box Office, With Projected $23.7M Opening Weekend". Variety. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  21. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 28, 2021). "Bob Odenkirk Movie 'Nobody' Takes No. 1 With $6.7M; Los Angeles Market Leads B.O. Again With $1.1M". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 29, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  22. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 4, 2021). "'Godzilla Vs. Kong' Propels Domestic Box Office Out Of Pandemic Depression With $48.5M 5-Day Opening". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
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  25. ^ DeFore, John (March 22, 2021). "'Nobody': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  26. ^ Roeper, Richard (March 24, 2021). "'Nobody': Bob Odenkirk comes on strong as an angry dad at war with the mob". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on March 28, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  27. ^ Nemiroff, Perri (March 30, 2021). "'Nobody' Star Connie Nielsen Teases That a Sequel Could Explore Hutch and Becca's Mysterious Past". Collider. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  28. ^ Bumbray, Chris (March 23, 2021). "Nobody 2: sequel being written, more action for Connie Nielsen? Exclusive!". JoBlo. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  29. ^ Jirak, Jaime (March 18, 2022). "Nobody Producer David Leitch Teases Sequel". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  30. ^ O'Rourke, Ryan (August 1, 2022). "David Leitch Teases a 'Nobody' Sequel is Being Written With Everyone On Board". Collider. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  31. ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (December 2, 2022). "'Nobody 2': Bob Odenkirk Action Sequel Is Aiming to Film Next Year [Exclusive]". Collider. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  32. ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (December 2, 2022). "'Violent Night 2': Producer Hopes to Start Working on Sequel in a Few Weeks". Colider. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  33. ^ Hermanns, Grant (January 8, 2024). "Nobody 2 Star Teases Details About Sequel To Bob Odenkirk's Sleeper Action Hit". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  34. ^ Tiwary, Shashwat (March 14, 2024). "'Nobody 2' and 'Violent Night 2' receive positive updates from producers". CoveredGeekly. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  35. ^ Barnhardt, Adam (March 22, 2021). "Derek Kolstad Pitches the Perfect Nobody and John Wick Crossover". Comicbook.com. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  36. ^ Erbland, Kate (March 27, 2021). "'Nobody' Director on Potential 'John Wick' Universe and Building the Craziest Fight Scene of the Year". Indie Wire. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  37. ^ KingPatel (June 29, 2021). "NOBODY Writer Derek Kolstad On Scripting The Best Action Movie Of The Year, Sequel Hopes, & More (Exclusive)". Comic Book Movie. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  38. ^ Prasad, B.H (August 3, 2023). "Is Jailer A Freemake Of 'Nobody'?". Gulte.com. Retrieved April 13, 2024.

External links[edit]

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