Some say you can’t top perfection – and while that certainly rings true when it concerns a film like RAGING BULL, that didn’t stop someone developing a controversial prequel/sequel to Martin Scorcese’s take on misogynist boxer Jake LaMotta. The 1980 masterpiece is widely considered one of the finest films ever made, so it came as a shock to both fans of the film and the studio responsible in releasing the original that director Martin Guigui had gone ahead in bringing us a follow-up of LaMotta’s life ‘before and after the rage’.
The independently-produced RAGING BULL 2 would chart LaMotta’s rise from street brawling thug to title contender, as well as his turbulent life after retirement. However, production hit a blip last month when the film was slapped with a lawsuit, with owners MGM determined not to have their Ocscar-winning biopic tarnished by a sub-standard sequel.
It appears MGM have settled their differences (or been paid a large chunk of change), with RAGING BULL 2 now confirmed as THE BRONX BULL, LaMotta’s familiar nickname. I’m not expecting the calibre of film akin to Scorcese’s classic, but with the project attracting reliable actors like Joe Mantegna, Paul Sorvino, Tom Sizemore and William Forsyth, I’m not expecting a disaster either. We’ll find out when the film is released later next year. This publicity will certainly help, which may have been the filmmakers ploy all along.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
