Richard Linklater and Glen Powell, aka the Pride of Texas, are back at it with the much-talked-about new action comedy Hit Man. The film is based on the true story of Gary Johnson, an unassuming college professor who worked undercover for the Houston police. After blowing the roof off at the fall film festivals and garnering awards buzz for Powell, the flick is heading to Netflix.
Directed by Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused), who co-wrote the script alongside Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick), Hit Man follows Gary Johnson (Powell), an average Joe who poses as various hit men to entrap people in need of some murder-for-hire. When he falls in love with Maddy Masters (Andor's Adria Arjona), who's hired him to off her abusive husband, Gary is at risk of becoming a criminal himself.
Hit Man marks Linklater and Powell's fourth collaboration, following Everybody Wants Some!!, Apollo 10 1/2 and Fast Food Nation. Fans will see Powell—a too-cool-for-school type—in a whole new light as Gary Johnson. His catchphrase is "All pie is good pie," and he's the coolest dweeb you'll ever meet. From the true story that inspired the film to the release date, here's everything to know about Hit Man.
What's the Plot of Hit Man?
Adria Arjona and Glen Powell in Hit Man. (Netflix)
Hit Man is a classic action comedy with one helluva twist: Glen Powell's titular hit man isn't even a real assassin. He's a dorky community college professor posing as an assassin to help the police catch people intending to murder their spouses, friends and enemies. Here's Netflix's official synopsis:
Gary Johnson is the most sought-after professional killer in New Orleans. To his clients, he's like something out of a movie: the mysterious gun for hire. But if you pay him to rub out a cheating spouse or an abusive boss, you'd better watch your back — he works for the cops. When he breaks protocol to help a desperate woman trying to flee an abusive husband, he finds himself becoming one of his false personas, falling for the woman and flirting with turning into a criminal himself.
Netflix has not yet released a trailer for Hit Man. Watch this space for any updates.
Is Hit Man Based on a True Story?
Richard Linklater and Glen Powell co-wrote the screenplay for Hit Man, which is based on journalist Skip Hollandsworth's landmark 2001 Texas Monthly story about the real-life Gary Johnson, who disguised himself as a hit man to help the Houston police arrest people trying to hire him.
Per TIME, Powell and Linklater altered the story for the screen (Johnson didn't actually fall in love with one of his targets), but the choice bits are all true: The guy really was just an average Joe community college professor, and his catchphrase was indeed "All pie is good pie."
Who's in the Cast of Hit Man?
(Netflix)
Leave it to Richard Linklater to craft a note-perfect ensemble of franchise alums and comedy veterans. Here's the full cast list:
- Glen Powell as Gary Johnson
- Adria Arjona (6 Underground, Morbius) as Maddy Masters, who hires Johnson to murder her abusive husband, then strikes up a romance with the titular hit man.
- Austin Amelio (Fear the Walking Dead) as Jasper, an undercover cop.
- Evan Holtzman (Hidden Figures) as Ray Masters, Maddy's husband.
- Retta (Parks and Recreation) as a police officer Gary works for.
- Sanjay Rao (Truth Be Told) as a police officer Gary works for.
- Molly Bernard (Chicago Med)
- Comedian Jo-Ann Robinson (We Have a Ghost)
- Ritchie Montgomery (Blaze)
- Morgana Shaw (American Underdog)
When Will Hit Man Be on Netflix?
Netflix's official site reads, "Hit Man is coming soon to Netflix in the US and select countries." While there's no release date for the film yet, we have an idea of when it'll be available to stream. Netflix acquired the movie for a whopping $20 million on Sept. 18, marking the biggest film festival deal of 2023 so far. Deadline reported that the streamer plans to give Hit Man a limited theatrical release, so don't expect to find the flick on Netflix until 2024.
Until then, catch Glen Powell starring alongside Sydney Sweeney in the hotly-anticipated rom-com Anyone But You, in theaters only on Dec. 15.
