'American Ultra' Might Come Back For More

(Spoilers ahead!) Having survived most of American Ultra, Mike (Jesse Eisenberg), the stoner-turned-CIA supersoldier targeted for termination becomes a fully-fledged agent by the film's close. But he's not out of danger yet. Under the guidance of Connie Britton's character at the CIA headquarters, he and Kristen Stewart's character Phoebe (his handler-turned-girlfriend-turned-defected spy) embark on another mission. During the credits, he steps into an elevator with the bad guys, and when they get out, the film cuts to an Apollo Ape rendering of the ensuing fight scene. It imagines what the film would look like if all the characters were in Mike's imagined comic, putting a comic-book filter over a film already drenched in genre references. Though it doesn't directly hint at it, American Ultra definitely leaves open the possibility of a sequel. Will there be an American Ultra 2 ?

Honestly, Apollo Ape could make up a sequel of its own, an animated spin-off of the live-action film. But there's no plan as of yet for a sequel to American Ultra. The studio will likely wait to gauge the box-office performance and longevity of the film to determine if it's worthy of continuation. Eisenberg and Stewart have been tight-lipped about a possible second film, according to the Detroit Free Press. For Eisenberg, returning for a second film would be contingent on whether the sequel was of the caliber of the first, though Stewart contends that a sequel couldn't possibly be as funny as the first because the humorous juxtaposition of stoner mini-mart employee and lethal killer would wear out. "Once the bubble is burst, how do you do that again?" she said.

Stewart has enough projects of her own coming up, though, to bide her time before a sequel. Her upcoming slate runs the gamut of romance, science fiction, and drama, so here's a preview of what's on tap for her over the next year.

Equals

Stewart stars alongside Nicholas Hoult in this Drake Doremus-directed drama about a futuristic society without emotion. When Hoult's character becomes infected with a mysterious disease, he's cast out from society but finds himself drawn to another infected young woman, Nia (Stewart). They plot an escape together. The film is currently scheduled for release later this year.

Personal Shopper

Despite the misleading title, Personal Shopper is a French (though English-language) horror film by director Oliver Assayas, who also directed Stewart in Clouds of Sils Maria. It combines ghosts and high fashion and I will be there when it premieres next year.

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk

This military drama is currently scheduled for a Veteran's Day 2016 release. It's director Ang Lee's first effort since Life of Pi. Based on the 2012 novel, it follows the titular character on a promotional tour of the United States between tours of duty. Stewart will play Kathryn Lynn, Billy's older sister.

Untitled Woody Allen Project

This thrilling title comes courtesy of IMDb — Kristen Stewart will star alongside Eisenberg again, as well as Bruce Willis and Blake Lively, in Woody Allen's next feature. Details remain a mystery, but this will be the third time Eisenberg and Stewart co-star in a film (the first being Adventureland and the second American Ultra). Plus, Blake Lively's husband Ryan Reynolds also appeared in Adventureland, so it's practically a family reunion. This untitled project is just the latest installment in Woody Allen's history of stocking his films with young Hollywood ingenues.

Maile Meloy Adaptation

Director Kelly Reichhardt (who directed Eisenberg in Night Moves) is adapting a set of Maile Meloy short stories into a feature film. Stewart will play Beth Travis, a character from Meloy's story Travis, B., originally published in the New Yorker in 2009 (meaning the adaptation, though still untitled, also comprises the stories in Both Ways Is The Only Way I Want It). Aside from Stewart, the rest of the cast is quite incredible and includes Michelle Williams, Laura Dern, and Rene Auberjonois.

Eisenberg has his share of upcoming projects — three, including the Woody Allen film. He'll also appear in Now You See Me: The Second Act and Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, both to be released next year. He's also currently in theaters in The End of the Tour, the David Foster Wallace biopic. Eisenberg plays David Lipsky, the Rolling Stone journalist who accompanied the notoriously press-shy Wallace on tour promoting his behemoth novel Infinite Jest.

Though an American Ultra sequel might not be immediately in production, the film leaves the doors open for future stories. There's definitely room for more CIA hi-jinks (and more shots of Connie Britton being the glam boss we all know she is), especially now that Mike has been reinstated. But it could be a while, both because of the stars' packed schedules and a film landscape flooded with action flicks. In the meantime, there's plenty more Stewart and Eisenberg to tide you over.