Jon Bernthal and Ben Affleck Punch, Line Dance and Bond in ‘The Accountant 2’: “Ben Is A Hero of Mine”

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In “The Accountant 2,” Ben Affleck navigates multiple hazardous scenarios through fighting, kicking, and shooting for more than two hours. However, during the Saturday night premiere at SXSW, Affleck shared that the movie’s toughest stunt was not any physical action but the dance of choreography itself.

In a light-hearted moment at Austin’s Paramount Theater, Affleck playfully mentioned that his struggle, indeed, was the prolonged period he invested in learning to line dance. This was a nod to a scene in the movie where his character, Christian Wolff, impressively performs a line dance in a Los Angeles bar, having quickly picked up the moves (as shown earlier in the series, Wolff has exceptional skills due to his savant syndrome). Affleck jokingly boasted, “Tom Cruise doesn’t stand a chance when it comes to line dancing!

In the sequel to “The Accountant,” we follow the story of Wolff, an autistic accountant known for his expertise among criminal masterminds. He finds himself drawn into solving the murder of an old friend, enlisting the aid of his lethal brother (played by Jon Bernthal). Along the way, he uncovers a dangerous plot.

In The Accountant 2, Daniel Pineda, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, and a group of young neurodivergent actors from Los Angeles area programs are among the stars. Producer Lynette Howell Taylor describes the casting process as unique, stating that each actor brought their own personal stories to their characters, enriching them and providing inspiration for new ideas. She explains that the actors are not portraying themselves but rather infusing their personalities into the roles they play.

Gavin O’Connor is once again taking the directorial role for the upcoming sequel of the 2016 movie that grossed $155 million at the box office. After being stuck in development for years, the project was swiftly moved to Amazon Studios where it gained priority. As O’Connor put it, “If you don’t keep moving, you’ll fall behind, so we just keep pushing forward.” He attributes the film’s production to Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s production company, Artists Equity. At the premiere, Damon was spotted sitting next to Affleck in the audience.

Regarding the desire to delve back into the character, Affleck expressed, “The main attraction for me has always been to build upon my collaboration with Jon.” Meanwhile, Bernthal was particularly thrilled about rejoining forces with Affleck, stating, “Ben is a role model for me and I hold him in high esteem.

Affleck, looking somewhat sheepish, interjected saying, “You don’t need to praise him like that.” However, Bernthal persisted: “He’s as much beautiful inside as he is talented. Typically, making films feels like bashing my head against a wall and despising myself, but this was effortless for him.

The action-packed film appeared to captivate the crowd in Austin, with O’Connor urging spectators not to reveal any spoilers until the movie premieres in cinemas on April 25. Affleck then requested, “Kindly avoid discussing my explicit scene.” O’Connor jokingly chimed in, “Oh, there was a nude scene, but we decided to remove it. Affleck rehearsed line dancing in front of a mirror, completely undressed.” Finally, Affleck concluded, “It was my decision and I found it appealing.

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2025-03-09 18:25