Originally published May 21, 2017. Updated April 15, 2018.
It looks like Rowan Atkinson’s bumbling British spy Johnny English is set for a return to the big screen, with Chortle reporting that pre-production is underway on a third movie, which will start shooting in the autumn ahead of a cinema release in October 2018.
The character of Johnny English, a spoof of James Bond, originated in a series of adverts for Barclaycard, albeit under the name of Richard Latham. The character made the jump to the big screen with 2003’s Johnny English, which was followed in 2011 by the sequel Johnny English Reborn. Both films grossed $160 million apiece during their theatrical runs.
Atkinson had previously said that he was hoping to revive the character, stating that: “He’s fun and he’s rather human. I think he’s a rather realistic character. Perhaps he’s a more realistic and believable character than James Bond, in many ways. James Bond is just a superman. It’s rather fun to play someone with more faults and foibles.”
