David Leitch and Kelly McCormick, the powerhouse couple behind 87North Productions, are continuing their mission to carve out a distinct corner in the world of action cinema. While Leitch helped launch John Wick in 2014, his partnership with McCormick has since evolved into something much larger: building original franchises from the ground up.
Their latest success, Nobody 2, cements that vision. The sequel, which premiered on August 15 with a $25 million budget, once again features Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell — a seemingly average suburban dad with a deadly past. While the film’s onscreen action delivers, the real drama took place behind the scenes.
Just eight weeks before production began, the project lost its original director. Rather than pause or compromise, Leitch and McCormick tapped Indonesian filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto to helm the sequel, marking his Hollywood studio debut. The choice paid off, with Nobody 2 pulling in $17 million in its opening week — a strong showing for a mid-budget action film in today’s landscape.
This pivot is a hallmark of how 87North operates: fast, flexible, and focused on storytelling through stunts. Their commitment to practical action was further validated by The Fall Guy, which helped push the Academy to finally introduce a long-demanded Oscar category for stunt work — a victory McCormick and Leitch take pride in supporting.
With Nobody 2 setting the stage for a growing Hutch Mansell franchise, Leitch and McCormick already have more in the pipeline. Violent Night 2, starring David Harbour as a battle-hardened Santa, is gearing up to shoot soon. Meanwhile, Leitch is directing How to Rob a Bank, an original heist film for Amazon MGM Studios starring a platinum-blond Nicholas Hoult.
As for stepping away from bigger tentpoles like Jurassic World, the duo say they’re focused on creating franchises they control. It’s not that they’re done with major IPs — it’s that they’ve proven they don’t need them.
“At this point, we want to own our sandbox,” McCormick told The Hollywood Reporter during a break on set in Pittsburgh. That sandbox just keeps expanding — with fists flying, cars flipping, and more original action stories on the way.
