Samuel Jackson Still Hopes for ‘Long Kiss Goodnight’ Sequel

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Samuel L. Jackson, the prolific actor known for his iconic roles in Marvel films and beyond, has long harbored a desire to revisit one of his most cherished characters: Mitch Hennessey from the 1996 action-comedy The Long Kiss Goodnight. Despite the film’s modest box office performance, Jackson remains passionate about the role and has even envisioned a potential sequel.

Jackson, who has starred in over 100 films, first brought Hennessey to life in the Shane Black-scripted movie alongside Geena Davis. The fast-talking private investigator quickly became a fan favorite, with audiences rallying behind the character during early screenings. “You can’t kill Sam Jackson!” one viewer reportedly shouted after seeing an early cut where Hennessey met an untimely end. The filmmakers ultimately rewrote the ending to keep the character alive.

However, Jackson’s journey to landing the role was far from straightforward. Initially, the studio resisted his involvement due to concerns about a romantic subplot between Hennessey and Davis’ character, Charly Baltimore, in the script’s early drafts. “He literally fucked her in the first script. Or she fucked him,” Jackson recalled in an interview with Vulture. At the time, mixed-race romantic relationships on-screen were rare, and the studio opted to remove the subplot entirely.

Despite these challenges, Jackson’s enthusiasm for the role never waned. He even approached director Renny Harlin at a Hollywood event to express his interest, leading to an immediate offer without an audition. “You’re in the movie,” Harlin told him after learning of Jackson’s desire to join the project.

Though The Long Kiss Goodnight didn’t achieve blockbuster success, Jackson has repeatedly expressed his love for the film and his character. In 2015, he told Vulture, “Long Kiss is an awesome movie. And I still love Mitch Hennessey. I’d do a Mitch Hennessy movie in a minute.” He even proposed a potential sequel plot involving Charly’s grown-up daughter seeking answers about her mother’s secret assassin past from Hennessey.

Jackson’s hope for a sequel remains undiminished, even as decades have passed since the original film’s release. Drawing inspiration from the long-awaited Top Gun: Maverick, he quipped, “Come find Mitch. Come find Mitch Hennessey!”