Today we've got two stories of sequels, one very obvious, and one that less than obvious.
OBVIOUS SEQUEL NEWS
Joss Whedon the man behind the cult hits Buffy The Vampire Slayer & Firefly TV series and the mega hit movie Avengers has signed on with Disney to write and direct Avengers 2: More Avenging (working title) as well as develop a TV series set in the Marvel universe for its sister ABC TV network.
This is probably a good move on the part of both Marvel and Whedon.
For Marvel:
1. Audiences and critics cited the film's script and directing as worthy of the repeat viewings that take a film from doing well to doing great.
2. It allows Marvel to make Whedon into their "Christopher Nolan," giving the Avengers movies a greater sense of continuity as the singular vision of a filmmaker with a genuine interest in, and ability with the source material.
For Whedon:
1. While Whedon has a dedicated fan following, but his projects, even the successful ones, tend only to be cult hits. A greater number of his projects, especially in TV, fizzled out, mostly due to network or studio neglect. Being associated as the central "genius" behind a mega-blockbuster franchise greatly improves his clout and prominence in Hollywood.
It's easy for a network or a studio to dismiss a critical darling who makes cult material, but they can't say no to a blockbuster factory.
LESS OBVIOUS SEQUEL NEWS
There's some talk going around that Fox, writer/director Mike Judge and actor Terry Crews are considering some sort of spin-off of Judge's 2006 movie Idiocracy.
In case you haven't heard of it, Idiocracy is about a man with an average IQ who goes into cryogenic suspension for 500 years to discover that dumb people have out-bred the smart people and society was a dumb dystopia.
In the film Terry Crews played Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho, a pro-wrestler and porn star elected to be President of the United States, because that's what happens when everyone's an idiot.
Personally, I don't see the project going much farther than a few internet sketches and here's why:
1. Fox is probably gun-shy about the whole thing. The original film was made in 2004, then Fox sat on it for almost two years, only to dump it in theaters without publicity for a total theatrical take of less than $450,000. It's current status is strictly as a cult phenomena with fans who think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread, but it's unlikely this cult will take this project to mainstream success.
They had no faith in the original, so I don't see them having much faith in a spin-off.
2. It struck me as a one-joke premise, which is good for one film, but is not really the basis for a strong franchise. After a while it all comes across as repetitive, if not in specifics, then in general attitude and style.
That's what I think, let me know what you think in the comments...
I remember Buffy The Vampire Slayer being mainstream.
ReplyDeleteIdiocracy: I give it two episodes before the anti-"Retard" PC guys start protesting. How dare they call differently IQed people "Idiots"!
ReplyDeleteSo what's the premise of the plot? That IQ is inherited! That, sir, is Charles Murry - bell curve racism right thar!! No wonder the movie was sat on, and I expect slipped by because it was too small to really make an issue worthy of the six oclock infotainment hour. I see many instances of the word "Nazis" be used if it makes it's debut on the vid tube.
ILDC- Being the hit show on a third rate network still makes you more "cult" than mainstream.
ReplyDeleteK- The premise of the plot is from the theory of dysgenics, which states that due to the comforts and protections of modern technology stupid people will outbreed the intelligent people.
Now recent studies show that improving economic conditions also show a marked improvement in general IQs, so it's pretty much as discredited as the eugenics theories it was spawned from.
Rainforest Giant here,
ReplyDeleteIdiocracy is a fun popcorn movie. IIRC Fox buried it without an publicity but it did pretty well as a cult dvd.
I can't see it as a tv series maybe an internet series like 'The Guild'. Another movie would be okay. Plenty of room for 'Joe Average' trying to muddle through another problem in ninety minutes.
I don't see more than one sequel though there's not that much material.
stupid people will outbreed the intelligent people.
ReplyDeleteDon't mean to be pedantic, but the above statement contains the premise that IQ is inherited.
Given:
A:Stupid people have more babies than the intelligent.
B:stupid people's babies are also stupid.
Therefore:
C:Stupid people out breed the intelligent.
If B weren't true, then the entire premise of the movie would not follow.
I'm not making any claim that stupid people's babies are going to be stupid. That, however, is what the plot of Idiotcracy assumes.
What about the Daredevil reboot? And have you seen the Punisher short? Any chance of another Punisher? The short was actually better quality than the movie.
ReplyDeleteRainforest Giant
Rainforest Giant - I know there were rumors of horse-trading for a Daredevil reboot, but then both sides denied it, so I don't know the whole story.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Punisher short, I haven't seen it yet, but I doubt there'll be another Punisher movie. That franchise is just jinxed.