Boondock Saints 3 Still Needs Another Confirmed Cast Member To Beat A 15-Year-Old Trend

Boondock Saints 3 is happening, but after a disappointing trend with the previous two films, it will take another confirmed cast member to make the threequel a success. The original Boondock Saints, released in 1999, starred Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus as the vengeful MacManus brothers, both of whom have been confirmed for Boondock Saints 3. Though this is exciting news, there is no guarantee that the upcoming movie will succeed at the box office. Currently, there is a lot counting against the project, but another actor could turn the tide.

Boondock Saints took some time to become a success. The 1999 movie told the story of Connor and Murphy MacManus, two Irish Catholic brothers who take it upon themselves to purge Boston of its most despicable criminals. Of course, no vigilante movie is complete without the conflicted detective. In Boondock Saints, this was Willem Dafoe’s Paul Smecker, who was a significant highlight of the first movie and served as the threequel setup in The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day. However, despite this fact, the actor has not yet been confirmed for Boondock Saints 3.

Willem Dafoe Is Not Yet Confirmed For Boondock Saints 3

Boondock Saints 3 has been confirmed, with John Wick’s production company Thunder Road joining Dragonfly Films to expand the original 1999 story. Flannery and Reedus are both confirmed to be part of the project, though Troy Duffy will not be returning to direct. Additionally, there has been no word on whether Dafoe’s Smecker would make an appearance in Boondock Saints 3, which is frustrating since the previous movie left off on a cliffhanger that promised a massive prison breakout planned by the fallen detective.

It’s possible that despite Dafoe’s surprise cameo during Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day‘s cliffhanger, Smecker’s storyline will be left out of the Boondock Saints 3 entirely. The upcoming movie has been teased as a “reimagining” of the 1999 film, so rather than a threequel, the Thunder Road movie may be more like a reboot. This would leave Dafoe’s involvement entirely optional since a reimagined plot wouldn’t be limited to the established story. However, considering the rocky reception of the previous two Boondock Saints movies upon their release, the iconic actor will be a must.

The Last 2 Boondock Saints Movies Were Box Office Bombs (Despite Becoming Cult Classics)

Willem Dafoe Is Boondock Saints 3’s Best Chance Of Turning Things Around

The Boondock Saints is considered a cult classic today, but the franchise has never done well at the box office. The 1999 movie had an extremely limited theatrical release, only hitting five theaters in the United States. The Boondock Saints cost about $6 million to make but only made back an abysmal $30,471 at the global box office (via Box Office Mojo). Thankfully, the video rental company Blockbuster came to the rescue, and in the months following its VHS release, word of mouth allowed The Boondock Saints to gain some favor.

After the 1999 Boondock Saints took a slow and steady climb to cult classic status, Duffy decided to make Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, which was released a decade after its predecessor in 2009. Despite a much better opening to 68 theaters, the sequel continued the established trend of bombing at the box office. Boondock Saints 2 only managed a $10.6 million global gross, and though this was better than its predecessor, it wasn’t enough. Now, if Boondock Saints 3 hopes to break this trend, it will need all hands on deck—including Dafoe’s Smecker.

Boondock Saints 3 Needs More Than Sean Patrick Flannery & Norman Reedus To Be A Success

Boondock Saints is the sort of movie that won’t be for everyone, which is likely why it took some time for the 1999 movie to take hold. However, once it did, it was due to the delicate balance of action, violence, comedy, and downright absurdity. Duffy’s direction allowed all of this to shine through, and the combined work of Flannery and Reedus certainly contributed as well. However, without Dafoe’s Smecker character—who was the very definition of absurd—this carefully achieved balance would have been lost.

Though both Boondock Saints movies were critically panned, audiences gave the 1999 movie a whopping 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes. In contrast, The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day only got a 58% audience score. This ultimately proves that this balance was lost in the sequel, which can be attributed to Dafoe’s absence until the last minute. If Boondock Saints 3 hopes to turn its box-office trend around, then this iconic actor must return to bring the outrageous Smecker back to the screen.