Sequel Bits: 'Ghostbusters 3', 'Zombieland 2', 'Jay And Silent Bob Reboot', 'Leaving Neverland', 'Sliders', 'Expendables 4', 'Call Me By Your Name'
In this edition of Sequel Bits:
Ghostbusters 3 is bound to be an effects-driven movie, and Jason Reitman has recruited some folks to make that happen. HN Entertainment reports art director Tom Reta (The Cabin In The Woods) and visual effects supervisor Sheena Duggal (Venom) are both working on the movie. So if you like the way those films look, this is exciting! If you don't, well...then you might be worried. Ghostbusters 3 opens July 10th, 2020.
Speaking of Ghostbusters 3, J.K. Simmons is not in the film...at least not yet. But he's a long-time friend and collaborator of director Jason Reitman, which means he might end up cast yet. Even if he doesn't, though, the actor says he knows all about the sequel, and he's known for a while. Speaking with ET, Simmons said: "I can tell you absolutely nothing. I know everything but I'm just not telling you." So there you have it, folks. No information at all!
I don't know if Zombieland 2 will turn out to be enjoyable, but it looks as if star Woody Harrelson is having a blast making the sequel. Speaking with Movieweb, Harrelson had nothing but good things to say about the experience:
"What we've shot so far, I'm really impressed with. Getting to hang out with these guys – Emma, and Abbie, and Jesse, and Ruben – I feel so lucky, really, really lucky. You know, it's literally laughing all day long, and that's your job. Like, my job is, I laugh all day long? It seems unbelievable. So, I feel really lucky right now."
I too am literally laughing all day long, but that's likely due to how mentally unwell I am. Zombieland 2 opens October 11, 2019, which is surprisingly soon, all things considered.
Kevin Smith is bringing everyone back for Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, including his wife, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith. As you can see in the Instagram post above, Schwalbach Smith reprises her role from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, who now has a job at a Mooby's fast food joint. It's obvious this movie is going to be a who's-who of Smith movie actors, and that will no doubt excite fans.
Could there be a sequel to the harrowing Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland? Maybe, at least according to director Dan Reed. Speaking with the Film Stage, Reed said he would like to make a follow-up film:
"Oh yeah, I would love to do that. The film I would really like to make following this one is the trial of Michael Jackson. I could only do that if the victim and his family participate. It would be a much weaker film [if they didn't.] I don't want to follow Leaving Neverland with a weaker film. If Gavin Arvizo and his family would agree to participate, I would very much like to tell the story of that trial. I think it's fascinating and astonishing that Michael was acquitted. The way that happened is an amazing story and one that should be told. But no, I'm not going to just carry on making Michael Jackson films, that's not my thing. Like I said, this wasn't a film about Michael Jackson."
Leaving Neverland was so hard to watch that I can't imagine wanting to watch a sequel, but we'll see what happens.
Once upon a time, there was a sci-fi series called Sliders. It was all about tiny burgers. Oh, no, sorry, it was actually about a team that slides into alternate dimensions. The show had a bit of a cult following, and if anyone wants to bring it back for a reboot, star John Rhys-Davies seems down. In fact, he's discussed the idea with co-star Jerry O'Connell, as he told Flickering Myth:
"Jerry had been pestering me for a number of years and we're actually talking to NBC at the moment to see if there's any possibility of rebooting the series. They're looking into the basic question of who actually owns it? At the moment we don't seem to be able to find that out.
Rhys-Davies went on to add: "I would do it again, if just to show how it should be done. It could have been the best show on television, it could still be on the air. I think maybe if we got another chance at doing it with the new technology, but also new stories, I think we could do something quite extraordinary."
Does anyone, anywhere, want another Expendables movie at this point? I'd say no, but I'm sure there's at least one person who is dying for more of these movies. And they're in luck! According to the Tunisian daily publication, La Presse (via Joblo), Expendables 4 is gearing up to shoot soon in Tunisian. The translation is a little wonky, so the details are slim to none. But why would La Presse lie? And who on earth would lie about The Expendables? So get ready for more old '90s action stars wasting everyone's time, including their own!
The Fantastic Beasts movies have already re-cast Dumbledore in the form of Jude Law. But they better not recast Voldemort, as far as original Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes is concerned. Speaking with BBC Newsnight, the actor said that if the character should show up in Fantastic Beasts sequels, he'd really like the gig himself:
"I feel a kind of affection for Voldemort. So if there was a world in which Voldemort came back, I would be very possessive about wanting to reprise that."
The character was buried under makeup (and CGI) in the Harry Potter franchise, so it would be quite easy to have Fiennes reprise the part in some capacity, if need be.
Luca Guadagnino has expressed interest in making a Call Me By Your Name sequel, but you probably shouldn't get your hopes up at this point. According to star Armie Hammer, chances of the sequel happening now have grown increasingly slim. "There have been really loose conversations about it, but at the end of the day — I'm sort of coming around to the idea that the first one was so special for everyone who made it, and so many people who watched it felt like it really touched them, or spoke to them," Hammer said (via IndieWire). "And it felt like a really perfect storm of so many things, that if we do make a second one, I think we're setting ourselves up for disappointment. I don't know that anything will match up to the first, you know?" I think Hammer is right here.