by Gill Pringle in LA
Two years after Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Monaghan debuted their undeniable screen chemistry as suburban couple Dan and Jessica Morgan in The Family Plan, the couple are back for more festive fun in a holly jolly action-packed sequel, Family Plan 2.
With their eldest daughter Nina (Zoe Colletti) now studying abroad, the Morgans and their two younger kids decide to celebrate Christmas with her in London.
What could possibly go wrong?
Plenty, as it turns out in this sequel which plays like a mash-up of Home Alone and Mission: Impossible.
If over-protective dad Dan thought that his biggest problem was Nina’s parkour-loving new boyfriend Omar (Reda Elazouar), then his worries are overshadowed when his past unexpectedly catches up with him in the shape of his vengeful half brother Finn, played by Game of Thrones star Kit Harington.
“The introduction [in the film] to my younger brother, who I didn’t know existed, is something that I’ve always wanted,” says Wahlberg, 54, whose older brother Donnie would rise to fame as a member of boy band, New Kids on the Block, propelling Mark into a pop career of his own as Marky Mark. “Being the youngest of nine children really did it for me. I mean, that was the hook for me.”
Ask him about the inspiration for this sequel, then Walhberg points to the enormous success of the original, which briefly became the most viewed film on Apple TV. “I think that movie was so beloved and has been watched by many people, so we figured out a way to make a sequel that’s actually better than the first… and this is not just me promoting the film,” laughs the busy star.
“We got 20 out of 20 recruited audience members who, unsolicited, said that,” he keeps convincing us. “You could do make it better with stunts. You could do that with set pieces. You could do that with a more glamorous backdrop, which is obviously London and Paris at Christmas – but I think it’s the family dynamic and then adding new family members that really raised the stakes and the bar,” he argues.
“Dan flowed flawlessly through the first movie, pretty much unscathed the entire time – but now he is vulnerable, and he relies on his family, and the kids, to really step up and help him, because he wants to make it work with his brother, who obviously is a very, very dangerous person. So that raises the stakes in a different way.”
If Family Plan 2 begins with a sexy 007-vibe date night between Wahlberg’s Dan and Monaghan’s Jessica, then both actors were keen to play up the couple’s enduring sense of romance – even if their own personal date nights, admittedly, aren’t nearly so tantalizing.
“For me, date night is usually allowing my wife to pick the movie as we used to go to the movies quite often,” recalls Wahlberg who is married to model Rhea Durham. “And what I love about our movie as well – which goes back to my childhood and my kids, pre-Covid – was that we always went to the movies together. And it was rare that you could find something that was enjoyable for all.
“So, my wife would pick a movie, then I would pick a movie, and then we would take the kids to at least two movies a weekend. And so, this is a movie that really has something for everybody, and characters that are identifiable to audiences. And people enjoy it, so it’s wonderful.”
Monaghan agrees. “This film is kind of the perfect family date night. I think that’s one of the things that we struggle with in our family – and I have two children; we always commit to the idea of watching a movie on the weekend, and then we sit around, flipping through the channels or looking at what’s playing in the theater, and none of us can decide what we want to watch, and then we end up just not watching anything,” says the actress, who is married to Australian graphic artist Peter White.
“A perfect date night for me is being at home to be honest – my kids are kind of out and about, and just lighting the fire and hanging out. And my husband and I refer to that as having a little fireside chat. It’s us just being able to be in our home, which we love, and enjoying each other’s company. So that’s perfect for me,” she says.
While Family Plan 2 features high-concept set pieces – think bank heists, car chases through Paris, and even a fight scene on a moving London tour bus – then it’s not often that we see over-the-top action paired with a family vacation movie.
Returning to direct this stunt-laden sequel, Simon Cellan Jones knew exactly which tone he wanted to hit. “I think Home Alone was a family movie – even though it was only one kid most of the time – but it was still about his family. Even Die Hard is about a relationship with Bruce Willis and his wife,” he says.
“So, you definitely need a strong family connection. But I also think a holiday season theme is always a great thing because, whether it’s Christmas or Hanukkah or other holidays, it’s going to be a fantastic time for families to be together – and you need good music,” he adds.
Family Plan 2 streams from 21 November 2025
