“Back in Action” director on how that ending sets up Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx for potential sequel

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Back in Action.

Cameron Diaz makes her long-awaited return to the screen with Back in Actionan action comedy centered on married former CIA spies who are pulled back into the world of espionage when their covers are blown.

After defeating friend-turned-foe Chuck (Kyle Chandler) in the film’s fiery climax, Emily and her husband Matt (Jamie Foxx) are paid a surprise visit by former colleague Baron (Andrew Scott), who already has another job for the duo — and this time, it’s tied to Emily’s family tree.

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“We’re not going back to work, Baron,” Emily says, adding, “That was a one-time unplanned deal.”

“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t serious,” Baron responds. He then reveals that Chuck’s body remains missing, and he needs help from Emily and one of her family members to track him down. “My mom would be thrilled to join you,” she says of her mother, Ginny, an MI6 vet played by the formidable Glenn Close.

Then Baron delivers the kicker: “It’s not your mom; it’s your dad.”

“Your dad?” Matt asks, stunned. “Yeah… did I not tell you about him?” Emily replies.

Since Emily’s dad is never mentioned before this moment, and no other details are provided, Entertainment Weekly dialed up the film’s director, Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses, Identity Thief), to learn more about the cliffhanger and a potential sequel.

“There’s certainly an idea about who the dad could be and what the whole story could be about,” he says before playfully blaming the studio, Netflix, for the secrecy. “They won’t even acknowledge the idea of a sequel yet! So if you put in a good word, maybe there’s a chance.”

Related: Cameron Diaz addresses why she left Hollywood in 2014: ‘I just really didn’t care about anything else’

But, like his spies, Gordon is already one step ahead. The filmmaker teases that a potential sequel would put Emily and Matt’s children — moody teenage daughter Alice (McKenna Roberts) and tech-savvy younger son Leo (Rylan Jackson) — front and center. “What I’m leaning towards is there’s these moments where family comes in, and the events of a teenager’s life come in conflict with someone’s background as a spy,” Gordon says. “I feel like there’s a few opportunities or landmarks that we can build on from their lives.”

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For example, the director points to Emily and Matt’s son, Leo, who’s revealed to be a natural at spy craft throughout the film. “I’ll tell you that Leo, who is based on my son, in the course of [filming]he’s now nine or 10 inches taller than he was. His voice has dropped, so it wouldn’t be picking up the next day. I think we would honor the truth of the timeline of their lives and show another event, sort of later in high school, for both of them. But I tried to [weave] in the first one that Leo shows these moments of promise [and] ability.”

As for Ginny’s mysterious former husband, “I think you got to believe that she met him somewhere through work,” Gordon muses. “It wouldn’t be bad if he were also British. You’d have to believe that guy holding a gun. So there are certain people that you could consider for that part. We’ve definitely got some creative thoughts.”

Back in Action is streaming now on Netflix.

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