One was a surprise hit in the US this weekend, the other is yet to be released, and the final film in our sequel news roundup is to a film nearly 20 years old. It’s a real case of The Hit, The Blockbuster, and The Left It Too Late.
First up is THE PURGE, a film that made back its budget on its first night of release in the US. With a weekend take of $34. 1 million, it made 10 times its $3 million budget and with numbers like those you just knew a sequel was on its way. Set in a world where crime becomes legal for 12 hours once a year the possibilities are endless. It could follow any character in the country, focus on any particular crime, and that includes littering, graffiti, and urinating on the president. The film’s producer, Jason Blum, and Universal have both confirmed the sequel is now in development. Expect this to be the new SAW franchise. This will be Blum’s fourth horror franchise after PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, INSIDIOUS, and SINISTER.
Also in sequel land, Warner Bros. are feeling confident about their Superman reboot, MAN OF STEEL. The film is receiving some positive buzz and is tracking well in the run-up to its release on Friday. As such, it is being reported that both director Zack Snyder and writer David S. Goyer will return to their roles on a sequel, along with producer Chris Nolan. Nolan will take on a smaller role for the next film though, and may also have a hand in THE JUSTICE LEAGUE movie that DC and Warner Bros. are building up to.
Finally, DUMB AND DUMBER TO has run into more problems as Warner Bros. have officially pulled out of production. Not all hope is lost though, thanks to news that Red Granite are in ‘first position’ to finance the sequel and reports suggesting that many studioes are interested in picking up he belated comedy sequel. Both Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels would reunite for a road trip in which the pair look for Harry’s (Daniels) illegitimate daughter due to a needed kidney transplant operation. Red Granite would finance the film in return for international distribution rights, while five other studios are eyeing up those domestic deals.
THE PURGE is a film I absolutely have to see because I love the sound of its TWILIGHT ZONE style pitch. MAN OF STEEL I will be seeing on opening night, but can’t judge which way it is going to go in terms of quality, and DUMB & DUMBER may be a great film, but perhaps we just need to leave it be.
