Netflix’s Extraction was positively dripping in testosterone, with manly man Chris Hemsworth playing even manlier man Tyler Rake, the tall and handsome former special forces solider turned mercenary who gets drawn into a rescue mission gone awry and adopts the standard action movie mantra of shoot, punch and/or stab first, ask questions later.
The setup was as typical as it comes, but the success of Extraction came from the execution. First-time director Sam Hargrave told a straightforward story that fans of the genre are more that familiar with, but punctuated the formulaic narrative and one-note dialogue with a string of impressive, accomplished and frequently jaw-dropping set pieces that put Hemsworth through the physical wringer.
The formula worked a treat, and Extraction became the streaming service’s most-watched original film ever after drawing in close to 100 million viewers in four weeks. Not only is the sequel set to begin production this fall, but producers Joe and Anthony Russo have outlined ambitious plans for an entire cinematic universe that takes place all over the globe and tells a multitude of stories from many different points of view.
Insider Daniel Richtman is now reporting that one of the many spinoffs will be a female-led actioner, although the tipster doesn’t add anything else to the speculation. The lack of details is suitably vague, but putting a woman front and center in an R-rated action-driven thriller is a logical progression for the rapidly expanding world of Extraction, and there are more than a few suitable candidates to headline it. Maybe Netflix should give Charlize Theron a call, given that they’re on good terms after The Old Guard, with Atomic Blonde 2 also in the works for the platform.
