Angelina Jolie Says No to WANTED 2, Universal Scraps Sequel Plans
A mere week after the successful June '08 opening of director Timur Bekmambetov's adaptation of the Mark Millar graphic novel Wanted, two sequels were greenlit by Universal, according to Millar himself. The gun slinging star, James McAvoy, was immediately signed on for two more films, and the film would ultimately gross $340M in its worldwide box-office run.
Back in July of last year, the script was finished and looked ready to go. Things were quiet for a long while, but earlier this month, Millar revealed that everything was ready to go, and everybody just needed to approve the script to move forward, saying:
There's a lot of people to please. There's Angelina Jolie, there's [director] Timur [Bekmambetov] and there's Universal. Everybody is a perfectionist on it, so nobody wants to come in and cash the check and take off. Everybody wants it to be good.
Everybody involved with the original film was set to reprise their roles, despite the fact that (**Spoiler**) most of the principal characters -- including Angelina Jolie -- ended the original in no position for an encore.
Unfortunately, last night NYMag learned that Jolie has pulled out of Wanted 2, and Universal has pulled the plug on the sequel rather than recast the film. No sequel, or sequels. Bummer. Bummer.... buuummmer. I didn't think it was possible for Jolie to shoot herself in the head twice, before cameras could even roll on the sequel. But she did it.
Millar wasn't going to do anymore issues of the Wanted comics, but maybe since that film has been scrapped, he can get those stories out in some way... like more graphic novels! To read what the sequel entailed, Click Here.
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So what project is Jolie so anxious to board she's willing to kill what could have been a successful franchise? The actress is looking to star in Warner Bros.’ Gravity, a space thriller to be directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Harry Potter 3).
Gravity was also previously set up at Universal, but has since been snapped up by Warners, where it will be produced by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows producer David Heyman and Legendary Pictures.
Alfonso penned the script with his 28-year-old son, Jonás, and the story centers on the sole surviving human member of a space mission, desperately trying to return home to Earth and her daughter.
Much like Buried, and extremely reminiscent of Sam Rockwell's performance in Moon, Jolie would be alone on-screen for much of the movie.
The switch in studios maybe attributed to how artistically challenging the project may be, but come on, Duncan Jones pulled it off with flying colors, and Cuarón is more than capable, the guy is flat out brilliant. The story sounds great; studios, have a little faith in your filmmakers!
What do you think of WANTED 2 being scrapped? What do you think of the idea for GRAVITY?
According to THR, though Jolie will not be involved in Wanted 2, Universal insiders say the studio is still moving forward with a sequel.
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