STX Entertainment Has Yet to Issue a Statement About the 'Mile 22' Sequel

STX Entertainment started dropping hints about potential plans to expand Mile 22 into a trilogy long before the first movie would have even come out.

The studio grew quiet shortly after the premiere date of the movie on Aug. 17, 2018, which most commentators claim had to do with the negative reviews and the at-best modest box office of $66 million the movie generated. 

So, where do things stand now? Is there going to be a Mile 22 sequel, or did the studio shelve the movie for good? 

Perhaps fortunately for the devoted fans of the action-thriller starring Mark Wahlberg and John Malkovich, STX Entertainment has yet to announce that they have canceled the movie altogether. 

Although there's been no talk of a potential sequel for quite some time now, there's a chance that this has partly to do with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

The global health crisis required most studios to make drastic changes to their original production plans — and it wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume that it may have led to the postponement of the discussions concerning the future of Mile 22 as well. 

According to The Cinemaholic, there's a chance that the sequel might arrive in cinemas by 2023. 

Unfortunately, however, there are a few alarming signs pointing in the opposite direction as well. Despite the initial promotions, STX Entertainment hasn't issued a press statement about the Mile 22 sequel for quite some time now — which is in and of itself a bad omen. 

In the meantime, writer Umair Aleem took on various projects, including Kate, an action-thriller directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, and Danger Girl, a crime-thriller directed by the legendary Jeff Wadlow. 

Likewise, Mark Wahlberg is currently working on several projects. As an actor, he is set to star in three forthcoming movies, Infinite, Uncharted, and The Six Billion Dollar Man. He is the producer of several other projects, including a TV series documentary titled Wahl Street and a movie called The Roman.

Iko Uwais, the actor playing triple agent Li Noor, and John Malkovich, the star who portrayed Bishop's character in Mile 22, have a few projects in the making as well. Notably, none of the stars are credited on the Mile 22 sequel — which is hardly a cause for optimism. 

Mile 22 did end with a cliffhanger. The plane with Alice (Lauren Cohan), Li, and a few others took off just as it dawned on Bishop that Li was not a double agent, but a triple agent who was playing into the hands of the Russians all along. The sequel could pick up where the first movie left off, or it could shed light on what happened to the James Silva-led Overwatch after the bloodshed. 

Another problem the creators will likely have to address before getting the project off the ground is the amount of profit Mile 22 has made. According to The Cinemaholic, the first installment only generated $66 million total.

So, can the film studio revisit its original plans and create a movie featuring big names like Mark Wahlberg and John Malkovich using a movie script that's jam-packed with narrative twists and unexpected surprises? Or would the prospect of generating even more losses and receiving even worse reviews put production to a halt indefinitely? Only time will tell. 

Mile 22 is available on Netflix now.