Tom Hopper has joined the cast of ‘The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard’.
The ‘Umbrella Academy’ star confirmed the news after reports surfaced that he is set to portray the bodyguard Magnusson in the sequel to Patrick Hughes’ 2017 action-comedy ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’, and admitted he’s excited about the role.
Sharing the article to his Instagram page, he wrote: "This one’s going to be a lot of fun."
The 34-year-old British actor – who has also had roles in the hit TV series ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Luther’ – joins returning cast members Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek.
It was also recently reported that Antonio Banderas has signed on for an unknown role.
The original follows the world’s top protection agent, Michael Bryce (Reynolds) as he is called upon to guard the life of his mortal enemy – one of the world’s most notorious hitmen, Darius Kincaid (Jackson) – and his wife Sonia (Hayek).
Richard E Grant is reprising his role as Seifert, a drug-addicted corporate executive and client of Bryce.
Frank Grillo will also join the cast and is reportedly set to play an Interpol agent, who needs help preventing a cyber-attack in Europe, in the sequel.
The original movie achieved considerable box office success, earning around $177 million from a $30 million budget and becoming the most popular film in the US for three straight weeks.
Despite starring in ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ and being one of the most famous actors in the world, Reynolds previously admitted he doesn’t employ hired protection as he would feel "ashamed" if he did feel the need to have someone watching him because he is a "big guy".
When the Hollywood actor and his co-star Jackson were asked if they have personal security guards, the ‘Deadpool’ star explained: "Look, we’re two pretty big guys. I would feel ashamed if I had a bodyguard. The only time I ever have security is when I go to Comic-Con because you need guys to help get you 100 feet."