With the first game not even out yet and the EU release date just announced late last month, Eidos has confirmed to MCVUK that Kane & Lynch 2 is already in production.

“We believe it has the potential to be a franchise for adults that is respected and loved in the same way as Hitman. The marketing spend reflects our confidence both in the title and the franchise, which has already been optioned for a Kane & Lynch movie by Lionsgate. We’ve already got Kane & Lynch 2 in production, which just goes to show the belief we have in it as a long-term franchise.”

Phil Rogers from Eidos’ parent company SCi reminds us that Kane & Lynch will be released around the same time as the Hitman movie and says they’ll be taking full advantage of the cross-marketing potential that the title has. The Hitman movie will hit theaters on November 21st while Kane & Lynch: Dead Men will be released 2 days later, on the 23rd, for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

[Also see: Kane & Lynch: Dead Men gallery]