The Accountant 2 has a balance of familiar faces and new characters as the long-promised sequel nears its theatrical debut. One of the stars introduced in the upcoming action thriller is Daniella Pineda, who teases her «scary» antagonist going up against Ben Affleck’s titular character.
Speaking with ComicBook.com, Pineda opened up about portraying the villainous Anaïs in The Accountant 2, which will debut nine years after the original. Pineda’s ruthless character stood out to her, given how «comedic» much of the sequel is and how different the role was from what she’s been used to throughout her career.
“It was new for me. I feel like most characters that I play, there’s like a lot going on, and they’re always very busy, and this was like, [I] can’t be busy. Must be still, be very, very still. It is not scary when you’re moving around a lot, and it was very different from everything that I’ve gotten to do,” Pineda said. “It was different to be a villain, and to be like an actually scary villain. It was fun and it was so different, and it was also really weird to be the not funny one in the cast. It’s very comedic. The movie is really, really funny. Not my character so much, but, I love joining this world. I saw the first one in theaters in 2016, so when I got the chance to play it and then to do something very different, I just felt very blessed.”
It was new for me.
Fans of the hit series, The Vampire Diaries, will know Pineda well as she starred in an episode of the main series before leading its spinoff, The Originals. Pineda reunites with fellow The Vampire Diaries actor Cynthia Addai-Robinson in The Accountant 2, expressing her hope that the show will bring her back at some point. “It’s the thing I get most recognized for, more than Jurassic [World: Fallen Kingdom], more than anything else, is The Originals and The Vampire Diaries universe. That group of fans are hardcore, and they’re just so loyal. If they want to bring me back, they want to pay me, I’ll be more than happy to show up,” she said.
Daniella Pineda Appears in The Accountant 2
The Accountant 2 adds to a résumé for Pineda that includes features in the last two Jurassic World film series, Fallen Kingdom and Dominion. Pineda joined The Accountant follow-up last April, boarding a cast that includes Affleck (Christian Wolff/The Accountant), Addai-Robinson (Agent Marybeth Medina), Jon Bernthal (Braxton) and J.K. Simmons (Raymond King).
Directed by franchise helmer Gavin O’Connor, The Accountant 2 sees Wolff, a blind accountant who launders money for notorious criminals, called into action after King’s brutal murder. While Wolff pieces the case together with his brother Braxton, they discover that several ruthless killers are on to them as they find out what happened. Despite mixed reviews, The Accountant earned solid box-office returns and was penciled in for a sequel in 2017 before development halted. The follow-up moved forward early last year after Amazon MGM Studios acquired its domestic distribution rights from Warner Bros.
Since its South by Southwest (SXSW) debut in March, The Accountant 2 has earned rave reviews, getting a much higher critical score on Rotten Tomatoes than its predecessor. The film is reportedly set to make between $30 million and $40 million during its opening weekend.
The Accountant 2 will have advanced tax day screenings on Apr. 15 before opening in theaters on Apr. 25.
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