How a rejected sequel script became a global action thriller about vengeance

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Originally conceived as a follow-up to the 1994 film Leon: The Professional, the script for the 2011 action thriller Colombiana was reworked into a standalone project. Starring Zoe Saldana as a lethal assassin seeking revenge for her parents' murder, the film explores themes of international inequality and personal retribution.

The narrative follows Cataleya, a young girl who witnesses the 1992 assassination of her parents in Bogota, Colombia, at the hands of a drug lord's enforcer. After escaping to the United States, she undergoes training to become an elite assassin, eventually using her signature flower—the cataleya orchid—to lure her enemies into the open. The film, directed by Olivier Megaton and produced by Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp, was filmed across locations including Chicago, New Orleans, Mexico, and France.

While the film faced criticism for its portrayal of Colombia, with the nonprofit group PorColombia alleging it relied on negative stereotypes, other analysts offered a more nuanced view. Writing for Senses of Cinema, David Martin-Jones argued that the film provides a unique perspective on immigration and global wealth inequality, depicting a protagonist from the global south disrupting the lives of the corrupt in the global north. This interpretation contrasts with the common perception that the film is merely an American-style genre production.

Commercially, the film was a modest success, grossing $63.5 million worldwide against a $40 million production budget. Critical reception was generally unfavorable, with a 28% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, though Saldana’s physical performance and the film's action sequences received praise. Despite discussions regarding a potential sequel—with EuropaCorp mentioning development in 2015 and Saldana expressing openness to the role in 2017—no such follow-up has materialized as of 2026.

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