Shane Black would make a sequel to The Nice Guys in a heartbeat

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Shane Black's THE NICE GUYS, which he called a "spiritual sequel" to KISS KISS BANG BANG, was one of my favourite movies of 2016. And what's not to like? Ryan Gosling starred as struggling private-eye Holland March with Russell Crowe as hired enforcer Jackson Healy, two working-class blokes who were forced to work together in order to solve the case of a missing girl and the death of a porn-star. Throw in a swanky '70s setting combined with a healthy dose of dark humour and you've got something quite special, but unfortunately, THE NICE GUYS wasn't exactly the box-office success that it deserved to be.

Prior to the release of THE NICE GUYS, Shane Black did say that he wasn't about to rule out the possibility of a sequel, but that he didn't want to jinx it by talking about it. Oh oh. While speaking with Fandango, Black was asked whether he was still into developing a sequel to THE NICE GUYS.

In a heartbeat, if someone would pay for it. We had all kinds of ideas. The problem is it didn't do that well at the box office. I imagine it will break even, which is not a formula for reacquiring two very expensive movie stars and proceeding with a sequel.

Despite Shane Black's enthusiasm, he seems to accept that the chances of a NICE GUYS sequel doesn't seem likely, but should that day arrive, Black said that he would be "ready to go," adding that "If someone decided that it were enough of a cult hit to justify that, I'd be on it." I've no doubt that THE NICE GUYS will enjoy a cult-following for years to come, but a sequel? I'm not about to hold my breath, although it's certainly nice to imagine.

Shane Black's next film, THE PREDATOR, will hit theaters on September 14, 2018.