Leslie Bibb Joins 'Upgraded 2' at Amazon MGM Studios — SkimNews
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- Leslie Bibb is set to star in Upgraded 2, joining returning star and producer Camila Mendes in Becca Gleason's follow-up to the 2024 romance.
- Luke Roberts and Justin Matthews, who penned the first film, wrote the sequel's screenplay, with Becca Gleason directing and story details still under wraps.
- Gulfstream Pictures is financing the sequel, which begins production this month in Italy; producers include Mike Karz and Bill Bindley, Lena Roklin, Piers Tempest, and Mendes with Rachel Matthews.
- Amazon MGM Studios landed worldwide distribution rights to Upgraded 2, making the film available in more than 240 countries and territories on Prime Video.
- Upgraded 2 follows the first film, in which Mendes played Ana, an ambitious art auction house intern in New York who misrepresented herself to a wealthy man as the house's director, with the deception threatening her career and relationship.
- Hacks — Bibb's guest turn in season 5 opposite Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for the finale season.
- The White Lotus — Bibb starred in season 3 of Mike White's HBO drama, whose ensemble received a 2026 Actor Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series; she also returns to HBO as star and executive producer of The Rush Whisperer.
Why it matters: Amazon MGM Studios controls the sequel's worldwide release across more than 240 countries and territories on Prime Video, a distribution footprint secured before filming even starts in Italy. Gulfstream Pictures is financing the project, while first-film writers Luke Roberts and Justin Matthews and director Becca Gleason return, keeping the creative core behind Mendes intact for the sequel.
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