A Wanted 2 has been kicking around ever since the first film’s 2008 release. Even after becoming a surprising R-rated success and Mark Millar talking up the project every chance he gets, the likelihood of Wanted 2 seemed dimmer year after year. When Angelina Jolie passed on the sequel, it was publicized as the death knell of the project. Now, with director Timur Bekmambetov making the press rounds for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, he’s remarked the project is now picking up steam, thanks to a “great” and “shocking” idea he came up with.
The Playlist got an update from Bekmambetov, who explained the bright future for the project, “An unbelievable thing happened three weeks ago. Because we stopped, we didn’t know what to do for three or four years. Three weeks ago I came up with a great idea and I pitched this idea and everybody fell in love with it. And now I think we’re on track. Right now the writer is working on the script, and it will be shocking.”
As we all know, not too many characters made it out of Wanted still breathing, except, of course, Wesley Gibson. Bekmambetov confirmed it would pick up where the first film left off, “It’s a continuation of the story, with Wesley Gibson… Other people are dead, you know, we can’t bring them back. The story is the same character, same mythology, but it’s got a great twist.”
For a large portion of Wanted, Wesley Gibson was fairly annoying. By the end, after fully taking on his killer identity, it’d be interesting to see if Bekmambetov gives us the Gibson we got in the comic: nihilistic, narcissistic, and unstoppable. We got a Wesley Gibson with shades of gray, but it’d be nice to see the blood thirsty maniac Millar wrote.
For those of you who care more about Bekmambetov returning to the world of Night Watch than another loose take on Millar’s material, then take mild hope in the fact the director hasn’t ruled out returning to the universe. We spoke with Bekmambetov at the press day, and after pleading with him to continue the Anton Gorodetsky’s story, he said he “hopes” to make another installment, but actually considers Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter to be Dusk Watch.
Make sure to check back this week for our full interview with Timur Bekmambetov.