Rowan Atkinson returning for third Johnny English movie

We’re still waiting with bated breath to find out for sure whether Daniel Craig will return to play James Bond a fifth time – but it looks like a certain other big screen British spy is coming back with the same actor in tow.

Yes, there’s a third ‘Johnny English’ movie in the works, with Rowan Atkinson set to reprise the role of the dim-witted secret agent. Details are extremely thin on the ground at present, but according to Chortle, the comedy sequel has entered pre-production and is eyeing an October 2018 release.

Based on a character Atkinson created for a series of Barclaycard TV ads in the 1990s, ‘Johnny English’ hit cinemas in 2003, casting the comedy icon alongside John Malkovich, Ben Miller and Natalie Imbruglia.

Though only a modest box office success (approx. $160 million worldwide), the character proved popular enough for Atkinson to reprise the role in 2011’s ‘Johnny English Reborn,’ co-starring Gillian Anderson, Rosamund Pike and Daniel Kaluuya (and which, rather uncannily, also made $160 million worldwide).

Peter Howitt directed the original from a script co-written by longtime Bond writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, whilst Oliver Parker directed the sequel from a script by Hamish McColl. No word yet on who will be on directing or writing duties on the third film.

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