I don’t think that you need me to say that Hollywood loves a franchise – but darn it – I just said it. If it’s not a franchise then it’s just not worth it, and that seems to be the case with Wanted. The James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie starrer has recently crossed the magic $100 million barrier and now Universial Pictures wants a sequel.
“Easily done” I hear you say.
Not quite. There’s a problem or two.
Beware there are major Wanted Spoilers below.
Don’t say that I didn’t warn you!
In the new film version of Mark Millar’s comic book, the two major stars Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman… die. Yes – they bite the big one, leaving only McAvoy’s Wesley Gibson standing to kick ass in the follow-up.
While the film clearly has sequel written all over it – it will be quite difficult to match the box office gross because McAvoy is hardly a big draw when it comes to selling tickets. That said, a lot of women went to see McAvoy in the film following his recent starring role in Atonement.
Director Timur Bekmambetove and writers Michael Brandt and Derek Haas are already hammering out ideas for a potential continuation.
Producer Mark Platt said:
“The writers are at work already, and those creative discussions are taking place”
What direction this new film will take is anybody’s guess. Heck that might even bring Angelina Jolie’s twin into the film. What – you think that’s too far fetched?
Man – you’ve never seen Dallas.
They’ve got a 300 sequel in development and they spent years writing a follow up to Gladiator.
I’ll even bet that someone, somewhere also tried to get a Sixth Sense sequel made – The Seventh Sense – anyone?
Whatever happens you can bet they get a sequel out in three years at the very most. I don’t see the Wanted franchise having a very long shelf life.
Soon it could be Unwanted.
