'Hitman Bodyguard' director Patrick Hughes to helm next project 'War Machine' at Lionsgate

Hit action-comedy Hitman's Bodyguard director Patrick Hughes is setting up his next feature project at Lionsgate. According to Variety, the project titled War Machine announced by Lionsgate President of production Erin Westerman will be bankrolled by Range Media Partners' Rich Cook and Patrick's own label Huge Film.

Patrick will pen and helm the action-sci-fi film about the final recruits of a gruelling special ops boot camp who encounter a deadly force from beyond this world, reported Variety. The Expendables 3 director directed both Hitman's Bodyguard and its sequel. The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard. The films were released by Lionsgate in 2017 and 2021, respectively. 

Patrick Hughes to come up with the next feature project War Machine at Lionsgate

“Patrick is simply one of the best action directors working today, but what sets his movies apart is his focus on characters that cut through the mayhem. He came to us with a tremendous original idea and we’re thrilled to be shepherding it with Patrick in the driver’s seat,” Westerman said on Tuesday in a statement. 

Released in the year 2017, The Hitman's Bodyguard grossed $180 million worldwide. The film received mixed reviews, with reviewers praising Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson's chemistry. After a year of the film's success, it was officially announced that Ryan Reynolds and Patrick Hughes will again work together for a sequel, titled The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, with plans to begin filming later in the year. 

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard is a sequel flick to Ryan Reynolds and Patrick Hughes' debut collaboration, The Hitman's Bodyguard. The upcoming action and comedy film is directed by Patrick Hughes and written by Tom O'Connor and Brandon and Phillip Murphy. The film stars Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L Jackson, Salma Hayek, Frank Grillo, Richard E. Grant, Tom Hopper, Antonio Banderas, and Morgan Freeman.  Meanwhile, apart from War Machine, Patrick Hughes' upcoming project is The Man From Toronto starring Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson in lead roles. On the other hand, upcoming Lionsgate projects include the American Underdog, Borderlands, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and the fourth chapter in the Keanu Reeves John Wick franchise.

Image: Instagram/Patrick_Hughes