Sony Taps Extraction Director Sam Hargrave to Supercharge It Had To Be You

Here’s something for anyone who likes their action with sparks flying in more ways than one: Sam Hargrave—the guy behind those relentless 'Extraction' movies—is climbing aboard another high-adrenaline project. This one is called 'It Had To Be You,' and it’s coming from Sony Pictures and Platinum Dunes. The announcement is dropping just ahead of Sony’s big CinemaCon event, so clearly they want to make a splash. Honestly, if you’re going to make a movie about hitmen trading bullets (and, apparently, chemistry), you could do a lot worse than Hargrave in the director’s chair.

So What’s 'It Had To Be You' All About?

Here’s the pitch: Two contract killers, each hired to take out the other, end up tangled in a deadly will-they-won’t-they across Western Europe. There’s seduction. There’s violence. It’s part cat-and-mouse, part twisted romance, and probably not one for date night—unless your idea of romance is a shootout in Rome. The script comes from Eliza Jane Brazier, who’s not just adapting her own novel but executive producing the film too.

"It follows two contract killers, each with a hit out on the other, who must fight their growing attraction as they face off in an epic game of lust and murder across Western Europe."

Hargrave is directing and producing, with Cameron Fuller (of Platinum Dunes) backing him up. Fuller apparently saw something here early—he nabbed the rights and got the ball rolling before anyone else was attached.

Meanwhile, Back in the Extraction Cinematic Universe…

Sam Hargrave has had the kind of week most action directors dream of. Not only is he inking this new deal, but less than a week ago he and AGBO confirmed 'Extraction 3' is officially happening. Chris Hemsworth comes back as Tyler Rake, joined by Idris Elba (Alcott) and Golshifteh Farahani (Nik Khan). If you’re curious about story, join the club—Netflix is keeping those details locked up, but odds are there’ll be plenty of Hemsworth running headlong into enemy fire, as usual.

• ‘Extraction’ first hit Netflix in 2020 and shot straight to the top of the English-language charts.
• Audiences dug the bone-crunching, bullet-riddled action, and Hemsworth flexed actual acting muscles (not just biceps).
• The movie grabbed two Critics' Choice nominations: Best Action Movie, and Best Actor in an Action Movie for Hemsworth.

Oh, And There’s a Matchbox Movie Too

If you’re thinking Hargrave might need a break, think again. When he’s not busy lining up assassins or rescuing Hemsworth, he’s putting the finishing touches on 'Matchbox: The Movie' for Apple and Skydance. Yeah, apparently they’re making a big-budget action film inspired by the tiny cars. John Cena leads a pretty stacked cast: Jessica Biel, Sam Richardson, Golshifteh Farahani (yep, again), Danai Gurira, Corey Stoll, Teyonah Parris, Bill Camp, and more all show up. If this somehow turns out not to be ridiculous fun, I’ll be shocked.

Bottom line: Hargrave’s calendar is filling up fast, and 'It Had To Be You' sounds like the kind of crazy, genre-bending action flick custom-built for his style. Could be a wild ride—let’s see what else Sony drops at CinemaCon later tonight.