While the world may know Keanu Reeves' John Wick as a bona fide action hero, 2021's Nobody firmly puts Bob Odenkirk's Hutch Mansell on the same playing field. Hutch was an unassuming family man, with his wife, Becca (Connie Nielson), and two children, Sammy (Paisley Cadorath) and Brady (Gage Munroe), who was retired and out of his former line of work—until one really bad day when he was pushed too far.
Now, for Nobody 2, which gained lots of excitement from the footage Universal showed at CinemaCon earlier this year, Hutch is taking another crack at trying to get away from it all. But, seeing as this is a sequel movie, it clearly doesn't go so well.
The Direct's Russ Milheim sat down with Nobody 2 director Timo Tjahjanto, where he revealed how Hutch Mansell isn't the same as John Wick, how the filmmaker injected his own unique elements into the film, and why they chose to set the sequel at a run-down waterpark.
When asked how Bob Odenkirk's Hutch Mansell is different than Keanu Reeves' John Wick, Nobody 2 director Timo Tjahjanto noted that the key point would that that "Hutch Mansell is not invincible," and he's "definitely not unbeatable." To add to that, there's a strong element of "reliability of it all" regarding a guy who is "still excited about wearing shorts and wearing a Hawaiian shirt and kind of like going on a road trip."
Tjahjanto also spoke about how his previous films have "always been significantly darker and more violent," but one of the key elements of Nobody 2 that really drew him to the project was "the idea that here's a guy who's violent, but like, he also [is] finding in his self that the biggest lesson is you can't prevail without your family," which the filmmaker declared as "the heart of the film," with "The violence [being] the set dressing."
The rest of The Direct's discussion with the Tjahjanto can be read below. Universal's Nobody 2 hits theaters on August 15, 2025.
Nobody 2 Director Talks About Bringing His Own Signature Touch to the Sequel
For Timo Tjahjanto, the Heart of the Film is in the Family.
- The Direct: "Coming into this sequel, having not been on the first one, what did you want to do in terms of making sure you gave your own signature touch to the film?"
Timo Tjahjanto: Okay, so it's funny, because I really loved the first film, right? There's something dark and very twisted about it. There's something really almost like a European art house film, in a sense. It's weirdly–It really has that touch. And I said, like, man, that film is so great and maybe shares the same DNA with me.
Because my previous films have always been significantly darker and more violent, but when I got the script, reading it, there's something that really appeals to me, which is the theme, the family theme, and I'm really sort of taken by it. I think the idea that here's a guy who's violent, but like, he also [is] finding in his self that the biggest lesson is you can't prevail without your family. I was thinking, all right, let's make a movie about that. That's the heart of the film.
The violence can be the set dressing. It can be the flavoring, and it's all going to be fun and playful, but at the end, we have to deliver that message that Hutch Mansell's [life is not possible] without Becca or even his kids. And as soon as we talk with Bob [Odenkirk], we talk with the studio, that's going to be the heart of the film. I'm signing up for sure.
On How Hutch Mansell Differs From John Wick
"Hutch Mansell Is Not Invincible."
- The Direct: "Many people are quick to compare something like this to John Wick. How would you say that this movie is a different beast compared to those films?"
Timo Tjahjanto: Well, John Wick is known for its slickness. John Wick is known for the larger-than-life character, which has already become a myth, like a legend. Well, with Hutch, I think the strong point is the relatability of it all, [of] a guy who, regardless of his past, is still excited about wearing shorts and wearing a Hawaiian shirt and kind of like going on a road trip. I think at some point we all have been that guy, you know?
I think we all need a break from life. We all have that memory of going into a special place. In our case, it might be Disneyland or Universal Studios, what have you... So, Hutch, regardless of his violent tendencies, he's still that guy.
I think the strongest point is also the idea that Hutch Mansell is not invincible. Yeah, he's definitely getting his ass kicked a lot. He's definitely not unbeatable. And as you can clearly see towards the end, like he's receiving a lot of damage and all that stuff. So I think that's what makes it special, that's what makes him human. And I think very important for your action film to have a very human character in that sense.
Nobody 2 Director Explains Why the Rundown Water Park Was the Best Location for the Sequel
There Are a Few Reasons Why This Water Park Worked So Well.
- The Direct: "I want to address the location and setting for this second film. Just in your own words, why the rundown small town kind of beat up water park? Why was that the perfect location to set the story in?"
Timo Tjahjanto: There's a comedic side to it. Because me and Bob, we talk about, you know, Bob would say, like, 'Timo, have you ever been to a water park or an amusement park when you are young, and then 20-30 years later, you try to visit the same place, and then you realize, oh, it's not all what it seems to be, right?'
And a lot of that is because when we are young, we tend to see it through rose-tinted glasses, so that's why everything is beautiful. And I said, like, 'Oh man. Like, I've been there. Definitely. I always had that experience, as a matter of fact.'
And I think from there, we kind of decided, let's do that then. Because here's the thing, a broken-down amusement park and a broken-down water park are definitely an ideal place for a lot of people to die. We [have] seen accidents in this type of place. We see the paranoia.
Hey, man, like, if we are riding a water slide and then there's something sharp coming out of the edge, are we gonna get tetanus? Are we going to cut ourselves? From all those fears we kind of collected, hey, what if that gigantic swing thing, sort of, like, let loose and hits you. And that makes for a [lot of] really great set pieces.
The full discussion can be viewed below:
Fans of action should be sure to check out The Direct's interview with Ballerina star Ana de Armas.
