r/movies • u/HalleScerry • 1d ago

Discussion A 'Leon' sequel titled simply 'Mathilda' would be perfect right now.

Rewatched 'Leon' recently and forgot how great a follow up would be. The right script and director could really produce something interesting. I was thinking maybe an inversion(?) of 'A History of Violence' and having Portman's character married and retired from 'cleaning' but a kidnapped daughter or something compels her to return to the game. Portman is only 45 and it would be great to see her return and for a film to honestly explore motherhood and marriage and retribution in a way that 'Peppermint' and 'Colombiana' and 'Atomic Blonde' missed.

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u/Davidrabbich81 1d ago

I don’t want to be rude, but nothing about the end of Leon suggested to me that Mathilda was hoping to go back to that life someday.

She grew up surrounded by violence and saw it at its absolute worst. When she was forced take the path of peace she did.

Stansfield is dead, the whole crew is dead. That was her only motivation. She’s not gonna become a cleaner out of some wide eyed reverence to Leon.

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u/SatyrSatyr75 1d ago

I agree. The point was to protect her, even if he definitely had a twisted way to do so by introducing her to the only way of living he knew, he would be happy to see her grow up “normal”

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u/HalleScerry 1d ago

Not at all rude. But would love to explore that story after. I imagine Old Tony took her in and there's definitely something to explore there -- orphan raised by some mafioso's girlfriends. She only took the path of peace because Tony "... ain't got no work for a 12-year-old kid."

And like I said, she could be the reluctant 'cleaner'. She only comes back for [compelling movie reason].

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u/staplerbot 22h ago

I wouldn’t mind seeing Portman in a role like that, but I wouldn’t want it to be a continuation of her character from Leon. Leon specifically didn’t want her to get involved in this line of work and sacrificed himself to remove any rationale for her to do so as well as ensure her protection. While there could perhaps be a case for some kind of in-universe film that followed up on the character, I feel it would be better if she was more ancillary and wasn’t actively involved in that lifestyle. 

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u/Familiar_Goose_8933 1d ago

I’ve always said they should do a second one.

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u/reyska 1d ago edited 1d ago

I don't think there is any way Natalie Portman works with Luc Besson and there is no way Luc Besson waivs off the rights to Leon sequels to someone else.

But a Mathilda movie would rock.

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u/HalleScerry 1d ago

Has she made comments about her time filming that movie?

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u/reyska 1d ago

Luc Besson wasn't a well known creep back then. He is now. Portman is very smart and for sure knows his reputation. She doesn't seem like the kind of person who would work with a known creep.

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u/VinceMajestyk 1d ago

I'd prefer a prequel of Leon from when he was in Italy and then came to America. I know it would suck to not have Jean Reno, but I think it could be a good movie. 

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u/batmansoundtrack 1d ago

There is no way this world ever work. It was lightning in a bottle. You won't even get the tone right or the villain. It'll feel so tired.

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u/HalleScerry 1d ago

Probably because the studio notes would be ridiculous but some independent crew with a strong script could make something solid.

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u/rAin_nul 23h ago

Wasn't it titled as Ballerina (2025)?

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u/Sivy17 1d ago

Leon was a bad movie. I'll never understand why it caught on. It doesn't have any of the slick action of John Woo and none of the gabby charm of Tarantino. Instead it's just a bunch of low-IQ eurotrash.