It was one of the unexpected hits of the summer, but audiences left the theatre adamant that they wanted more of Wanted. And, now they’ve got their wish, with confirmation that work has tentatively begun on Wanted 2.
The movie, which should reunite director Timur Bekmambetov, writers Michael Brandt and Derek Haas and star James McAvoy, is part of the deal that Universal has renewed with the movie’s producer, Marc Platt.
Platt has been with Universal for a decade now, and the new deal keeps him at the studio for another five years. And in exchange, the studio gets its mitts on a virtual IMDb’s worth of movies.
Top of the hit parade is Wanted 2, which Platt confirms is in the planning stages. "The writers are at work already, and those creative discussions are taking place," Platt said.
‘Those creative discussions’ will no doubt revolve around the construction of a story for the sequel, given that – spoiler warning! – McAvoy’s Wesley Gibson was pretty much the only major character left standing at the end of the ultra-violent original. But $192 million (worldwide) has a funny way of speeding up the creative process, and so we’d expect to see Wanted 2 (Wanted Again? Still Wanted?) in theatres – with or without Angelina Jolie – in 2010.
Also on Platt’s exciting slate are a number of musicals – the Rob Marshall-directed Nine, with an all-star cast, Wicked and a remake of Jesus Christ Superstar. He’s also got Neil Marshall’s Drive, with Hugh Jackman; Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (which will be his next movie for Universal); and Gershwin, a biopic of George Thingummy.
And we haven’t even mentioned about three others.
So, is Wanted 2 the one on that list that’s pressing your buttons? Can it be feasible without some major players? Where can they go? You know what to do.