The Old Guard 2: Why The Movie's Release Date Changed, & Reshoots Explained

The Old Guard 2 has been in production for quite a while since it was first announced and delays have pushed the release back. The Old Guard is a Netflix original movie that premiered in July 2020 on the streamer. Initially, the film was unremarked upon when it was released, a possible consequence of premiering in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, reviews for the film were strong, earning an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. Based on the comic book of the same name by Greg Rucka, the film quickly gained supporters.

The original movie follows a team of immortal mercenaries, the titular Old Guard, who have fought through the millennia, taking on missions to help those in need. The Old Guard ends with an epilogue that directly hints at a sequel, so it wasn't a huge surprise when The Old Guard 2 was announced. The Old Guard 2 will likely follow the inevitable battle between Andy and Quynh (Vân Veronica Ngô) and see what is to happen to the immortal group. The Old Guard 2 has long been in production, but delays have shifted the release schedule.

The Old Guard 2 Release Date Changed From Fall 2024 To An Unknown Date

Charlize Theron Announced There Would Need To Be Reshoots

Filming for The Old Guard 2 was completed in September 2022, at which point the film went into post-production (via KFTV). A VFX-heavy film, post-production for The Old Guard 2 was always going to take a significant amount of time. While there was never an official announcement about when The Old Guard 2 would release, Theron said in July 2024 that the sequel would be coming out "soon" (via Variety).

Some readers took this to mean late 2024, as the movie seemed almost finished. However, a 2024 release date was ruled out by Netflix when it unveiled its Fall 2024 movie lineup, of which The Old Guard 2 was not a part of (via WhatsOnNetflix).

The Old Guard 2 Release Date Changed Because Of Reshoots

A Regime Change At Netflix Also Slowed Production

The Old Guard 2 release date was in part changed because of reshoots needed for the film. The UBCP/ACTRA updated its production listings on August 30, 2024, indicating that "additional photography" would take place between October 7th and October 18th. The first batch of filming took place in the United Kingdom while reshoots happened in Vancouver, Canada. Charlize Theron also provided some insight into why the film had been delayed. Theron pointed to a leadership change at Netflix, saying,

"Netflix went through quite a changeover. We got kind of stuck in that and our post-production shut down, I think, five weeks into it."

Theron also mentioned that the 2023 WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike also delayed production. Despite the setbacks, Theron was never worried that the movie would be shelved and was always confident that it would eventually premiere.

What We Know About A Potential Release Date For The Old Guard 2

The Old Guard 2 Still Needs Additional Photography

While there have been no official announcements about The Old Guard 2 release date, it seemed that after the October reshoots, the film would be ready for Netflix, perhaps with a summer 2025 release date at the latest. However, some bad news for fans came in January 2025 when World of Reel reported that there would be even more additional photography in early summer 2025, pushing the release date back even further.

A significant number of reshoots is never a good sign, but the fact that Netflix continues to pour money into The Old Guard 2 suggests they will release it at some point rather than lose all the money already sunk into it. A fall 2025 release schedule for The Old Guard 2 may actually be an optimistic guess at this point as things could easily change with this fantasy action movie.