Comedy Classic Midnight Run Is Finally Getting A Sequel

While two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro has largely been known for his dramatic films like "Raging Bull," "The Godfather, Part II," and "Goodfellas" throughout his career, he occasionally ventures into a different genre to surprise fans. In the past, audiences enjoyed De Niro's lighter side with the "Meet the Parents" movies opposite Ben Stiller, as well as both "Analyze This" and "Analyze That" with Billy Crystal. But perhaps audiences' earliest exposure to De Niro's funnyman abilities is in the 1988 action-comedy "Midnight Run."

In "Midnight Run," De Niro stars as Jack Walsh, an ex-cop forced out of the Chicago Police Department when he refused bribes from local mobster Jimmy Serrano (Dennis Farina). As a result, Walsh makes his living as a bounty hunter. He's given a job by bail bondsman Eddie Moscone (Joe Pantoliano) to bring in Serrano's accountant, Jonathan "The Duke" Mardukas (Charles Grodin), who pilfers money from the mobster. But, with another bounty hunter on the case and some smooth-talking from Mardukas, Walsh gets caught up in a wild cross-country chase. Not only are Walsh and Mardukas hunted by the mob, but FBI agent Alonso Mosley (Yaphet Kotto) wants the accountant so he can finally bust Serrano.

"Midnight Run" wasn't a runaway hit at the time of its release. It earned $81.6 million at the worldwide box office against a $30 million budget, per The Numbers, but it has become a cult favorite. In the past, attempts have been made by Universal Pictures to get some traction for a sequel. It's taken a few decades, but it seems a second installment is now in the works.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Girls Trip" and "Nine Perfect Strangers" star Regina Hall has been cast opposite Robert De Niro for the "Midnight Run" sequel. THR's report notes that Universal Pictures hasn't provided many other details about the film. For now, we know the sequel will be produced by De Niro and his production partner, Jane Rosenthal, and that the script was being written by "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" scribe Ayesha Carr.

With Universal keeping a tight lid on the project, it will be interesting for fans of the 1988 film to learn who, if anybody, will be returning to the sequel from the original cast. Sadly, Charles Grodin, Dennis Farina, and Yaphet Kotto have all passed away, as well as Jack Kehoe, who played Jerry Geisler, the loose-lipped bail bond assistant to Joe Pantoliano's Moscone. Of the core original "Midnight Run" cast, Pantoliano and John Ashton remain, as well as Phillip Baker Hall, who played Sidney, an even-tempered attorney.

Robert De Niro has made no secret of wanting to go on another "Midnight Run." In an exclusive 2020 interview with Looper, he reflected on his fondness for the original film and gave an update on the progress of a possible sequel. "I had a good time [making 'Midnight Run'] and as I see, years later, people come up to me and they like it," De Niro told Looper. "They want to make [another and] do a script for a sequel. I say, 'Yeah, I'll listen.' I've tried to do that and get it happening because I had a lot of fun doing it, and if we come up with a good story, I'd do it again."