Universal Pictures Confirms 'Johnny English 3' Will Be Released Sooner Than You Think

After six years since the last film, spoof James Bond is back with an all-new adventure that is expected to be the best yet! In a shock announcement, it was revealed that comedic actor Rowan Atkinson will be making a huge comeback as Johnny English for the third installment of the whacky franchise.

Reported by Chortle, the film has a provisional title of Johnny English 3 and is already in the pre-production stage. Following on from their report, Chortle revealed that Universal Pictures will begin shooting the action-comedy film during the fall this year ahead of its release on October 12, 2018.

Any Details On What The Film Will Consist Of?

With the announcement only being made very recently, Universal has decided to keep the plot of the film tightlipped until the pre-production paperwork has been complete. It is also currently unknown who will stand alongside Atkinson for the third film and if his sidekick from Johnny English Reborn will be making a surprise comeback.

Speaking exclusively to The Sun while promoting the ITV production Maigret, Rowan Atkinson opened up about his insanely weird character, and what it's like to play such an iconic character. He said:

"We’re hoping to make a Johnny English this year, so I certainly haven’t turned my back on comedy. He’s fun and he’s rather human. I think he’s a rather realistic character. Perhaps he’s a more realistic and believable character than James Bond, in many ways. James Bond is just a superman. It’s rather fun to play someone with more faults and foibles."

The first film, simply titled Johnny English, was released in 2003, with Ben Miller, John Malkovich and Natalie Imbruglia all starring alongside Atkinson for the first adventure, putting a stop to Pascal Sauvage from becoming the king of England. The Mr. Bean-style film ended up taking $160 million at the box office, leading to a sequel.

Johnny English Reborn made its debut in 2011, and judging by the reviews from the critics, it proved to be much better than the first film. The sequel introduced a new cast (excluding Atkinson, obviously), with Gillian Anderson, Daniel Kaluuya, Rosamund Pike and Dominic West appearing in the next installment. The sequel saw English team up with his new partner, Agent Tucker, and they were sent out to foil their enemies' plan — to kill the Chinese premier. Johnny English Reborn was just as successful as the first film and also made $160 million at the box office.

Final Thoughts

Chortle claims to have approached the filmmakers for Johnny English 3, but Working Title refused to comment regarding news about the film. For now, fans of Mr. Bean disguised as a spy must wait until official news from Universal is revealed, then make your verdict on how you think the film will pan out.