(Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)
Former DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn (pictured below, left) and Peter Safran (right) were abruptly ousted by parent company Skydance on November 9, sparking an online firestorm worldwide. The future of the DC Universe remains uncertain, but DC projects outside the shared universe could benefit from the shake-up. Among them is the sequel to "Constantine," which has spent four years in development without entering production and may have just lost its biggest roadblock.
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Francis Lawrence, who has long been attached to return as director of the "Constantine" sequel, told Collider in a new interview that Gunn and Safran’s departure has improved the movie’s chances of finally getting made.
Lawrence stressed that he did not want anyone to lose their job and was not celebrating the situation. Still, he said the team had spent more than 20 years trying to make "Constantine 2," with both an idea and a script already in place, only for decision-makers at DC to stand in the project’s way. The November 9 leadership shake-up, he added, had given the filmmakers renewed hope and potentially opened another path forward.
According to Lawrence, the obstacles never came from him, Keanu Reeves or screenwriter Akiva Goldsman. J.J. Abrams had also been involved in development, and everyone on the creative team wanted to make the film. Lawrence said he would not object if DC planned to introduce another version of Constantine as part of a shared universe, as long as his team was allowed to make a sequel to its own incarnation of the character. He believed the two versions could coexist and said the leadership change had restored his hope that the project might move forward. The next step, he explained, would be getting Paramount, Warner Bros. and whoever now oversees DC to agree on allowing their version of the "Constantine" sequel to proceed.
(Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)
Lawrence also acknowledged that the original film’s middling theatrical performance means "Constantine 2" is unlikely to receive the kind of massive budget typically reserved for superhero blockbusters. Getting it made would also require both him and Reeves to accept less than their usual fees. He said the project would have to be approached responsibly, with everyone involved motivated by their love for the material and a willingness to take a calculated risk. For the past 20 years, the filmmakers have understood that this could not be a $100 million production, Lawrence added, and that they would have to make it on a lean budget.
via： Collider