(L to R) Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery in 2009’s ‘The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day’. Photo: Stage 6 Films.
Preview:
- A new ‘Boondock Saints’ movie is in the works.
- Stars Norman Reedus and Patrick Flanery are returning.
- The film aims to expand the story’s universe with a new writer and director.
The original film ‘The Boondock Saints’ has one of the most famous origin stories in indie movie history: writer and eventual director Troy Duffy was a bartender with a hot script, and Harvey Weinstein offered to buy the bar, J Sloans as part of a deal that never actually happened. Duffy was free to shop it around, but it was further impacted shortly before release by the Columbine High School massacre, which had taken place just two weeks ahead of test screenings.
With concerns roiling about the vigilante movie inspiring copycats, it was given a limited release in only five theaters across the country on January 21st, 2000. It flopped and received negative reviews, but the movie, which starred Norman Reedus (very much before his ‘Walking Dead’ fame) and Sean Patrick Flanery, became a cult classic on DVD.
“Thy Kingdom Come. Thy Will Be Done.”
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1 hr 48 minJan 22nd, 1999
A sequel, ‘The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day’, followed in 2009, continuing the story. And now, after unsuccessful efforts to set up a third, it appears the characters will be back in a fresh form as ‘John Wick’ production company Thunder Road is working with Dragonfly Films on what is described as a “universe extension”.
Reedus and Flanery will be back to star, but Duffy is stepping aside as director, planning instead to write a series of novels about the brothers at the core of the movies.
A new installment of the saga of fraternal twin Irish brothers Connor and Murphy MacManus Read the Plot
What’s the story of the ‘Boondock Saints’ movies?
(L to R) Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery in 2009’s ‘The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day’. Photo: Stage 6 Films.
The original movie follows Irish fraternal twin brothers Connor and Murphy MacManus (Flanery and Reedus), who become vigilantes after killing two members of the Russian mafia in self-defense.
After they experience an epiphany, the twins, together with their best friend “Funny Man” Rocco (David Della Rocco), set out on a mission to rid Boston of the criminal underworld in the name of God, all the while being pursued by FBI Special Agent Paul Smecker (Willem Dafoe).
In the sequel, set eight years later, Connor and Murphy are living a quiet life in Ireland with their father, Noah (Billy Connolly) when an assassin frames the twins for the murder of a Catholic priest. They return to Boston and join forces with Mexican underground fighter Romeo (Clifton Collins, Jr.) and FBI Special Agent Eunice Bloom (Julie Benz), a former protégée of Smecker.
No details have been released about the new movie, beyond the return of Flanery and Reedus in the lead roles.
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New ‘Boondock Saints’ movie: The Filmmakers Talk
2009’s ‘The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day’. Photo: Stage 6 Films.
The team involved with the movie are clearly enthused to be back at it.
Thunder Road boss Basil Iwanyk said this to Deadline:
“When we were given the opportunity to help bring the MacManus brothers back to the screen, we jumped at the chance. The unique possibility of building on the iconic mythology and characters for all the long-time fans of the series, as well as opening it up to a whole new generation, is one that we couldn’t be more excited about.”
And this is what Reedus had to say:
“I’m thrilled to be working alongside Basil Iwanyk’s Thunder Road Films and Todd Myers’ Dragonfly Films to bring more of the story of the ‘Boondock Saints’ to audiences. I can’t wait for everyone to see what we have long been working toward. We are pressing on without our longtime friend and Captain, Troy Duffy on this one. He has decided to write a ‘Boondock Saints’ book series and I can’t wait to read it.”
Finally, here’s Flanery:
“Basil and Todd are the perfect partners to bust the brothers out of prison. With Basil and Todd at the helm, this will be the best ‘Saints’ yet. So now it’s time for the brothers to break out the pea coats, re-load, and get back to work.”
When will the new ‘Boondock Saints’ movie be on screens?
With a director yet to be locked down, it seems unlikely this one will be in theaters much before late 2025 or even early 2026. And given the complicated history of the movies, so far, we’re not yet ready to hold our breath.
(L to R) Sean Patrick Flanery, Billy Connolly, Norman Reedus and Clifton Collins Jr. in 2009’s ‘The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day’. Photo: Stage 6 Films.