One of my favorite cult films of all-time is Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko - and still I find this news a little disturbing. According to Screen Daily Fox has recently scored North American rights to S. Darko, a sequel to the film, which picks up seven years after the last film left off. You can read all about the casting and story details by reading on. How do you guys feel about this one? Im stilly iffy...
UK-based sales company Velvet Octopus will be launching sales in Cannes for S. Darko, billed as the sequel to the 2001 cult hit Donnie Darko. Fox has already taken North American rights.
Daviegh Chase reprises her role as Donnie's younger sister. The cast for S. Darko also includes Ed Westwick (Son Of Rambow, Gossip Girl), Briana Evigan (Step Up 2) and Justin Chatwin (Dragon Ball).
Ash Shah's Silver Nitrate and Newmarket Capital are producing. Los Angeles-based Chris Fisher, who previously made Nightstalker and Rampage: The Hillside Strangler Murders, will direct. The budget is pegged around $10m.
The story picks up seven years after the first film (and Donnie's death) when little sister Samantha Darko and her best friend Corey are now 18 and on a roadtrip to Los Angeles when they are plagued by bizarre visions.
Fisher said in a statement: "I am a great admirer of Richard Kelly's film and hope to create a similar world of blurred fantasy and reality."
Producers have spoken to Richard Kelly about the project but he is not involved in any official capacity at this stage.
Simon Crowe of Velvet Octopus added: "I think there is a new generation of cinema-goers who will be very excited to see this film."
Crowe quipped to ScreenDaily: "Donnie's not in [the new film] but there are meteorites and rabbits."
The project starts shooting May 18.
Two other new projects that Velvet Octopus are selling in Cannes are Sam's Story and Garfield's Fun Fest.
Sam's Story, directed by Miriam Kruishoop, will star Neve Campbell and Gabriel Macht (soon to appear as Frank Miller's The Spirit) in the story of a party girl who grows up and falls in love with a single dad. The UK/Nethlerlands co-production is produced by Black Book's San Fu Maltha with Molly Hassell. It will shoot this summer.
Garfield's Fun Fest is a continuation of the cartoon cat adventures, this time full CG animated (not a live-action combination as with the recent Fox hits). The US/Korean production from The Animation Picture Co. is directed by Mark Dippe and Kyung Ho Lee. Jim Davis wrote the script with the Altiere Bros. The voice cast features Frank Welker.
Velvet Octopus' Cannes sales slate also includes UK genre film Cockneys vs Zombies, Demian Lichtenstein's $25m Relentless 3D starring Karl Urban, animated projects The Legend Of Spyro and Outback 3D, Gabor Csupo's The Secret Of Moonacre (now in post) and Emily Young's Veronika Decides To Die starring Sarah Michelle Gellar (which starts shooting May 12).
I agree with the other people here in saying that the person who came up with this idea should be forced to fuck a porcupine in front of his parents. Well, mabey they didn't say those words exactly but that's what they meant.
This sequel idea is worthless. Just fucking worthless. The first one came full circle upon itself with plenty of closure. I don't see how there could be more to the story. This is the most worthless idea I've heard in a long time, I mean, this goes way beyond the adaptation of The Lawnmower Man.
DD is such a great movie and has been picking up steam ever since 2004 (I know it came out in 01, but people suck). Because of $ there was bound to be a sequel. I hope it's a least interesting.
Sequels can only crash in worse than a remake if the original movie didn't leave anything open for a sequel. Yeah, Donnie Darko ended on a perfect note, hence a sequel, even at it's best, is just extra crap. But other series, which were left open, a sequel is better than a remake, ANYTIME!!
ill be sure to check it out in theaters (im so bummed i never heard of the first one until a year or so ago and didnt see it) but im pretty sure that this is going to blow. this is one of the very few films that i think should never have a sequel.
as for the whole bullshit open the film to a new generation thats the dumbest excuse ive heard. the original is seriously less than 5 fucking years old. even the little shits i know would watch a movie that 'old' (apparently if its older than them its not worth watching, i gave them a good smack for that heh heh)
WHAT THE FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK???????????????????????????? ????????? WOW. Hey Hollywood, kiss my gory ass!!!! Are you kidding me??? You can't possibly explain the "smurfette origin" twice. Kiss my nuts, bitches! Nobody's going to see this (and don't you dare bring Frank back). I'm gonna puke now...
I seriously doubt that this was a spec script. I can't imagine any writer in his right mind would submit a Donnie Darko sequel. This was probably an already prepared script that the studio was dithering about until someone said, you know, if we change the lead character into Donnie Darko's younger sister...we might have a sequel!
My prediction is that the movie will turn out okay, but will have fared just as well, if not better, without the Darko tag. But even then, it's going to end up damaging the power of the first movie.
I thought the whole point of the first movie was that Donnie was different and unique to all those around him. Even the school bullies left him alone because of the freaky vibes he gave off. It was one of the things that made him endearing to the audience. But any idea of a sequel (and especially the road they seem to be going down) is basically saying, no, he wasn't quite so different afterall - look, even his kid sister is the same now she's gone through puberty.
Comments Page 1 of 2 | Next -> | Last ->> You have to be logged in to comment! If you don't have an account register now for free! Your account allows you to post comments and reviews, upload videos and images, access or our forums, write personal blogs, and maintain your profile.
UK-based sales company Velvet Octopus will be launching sales in Cannes for S. Darko, billed as the sequel to the 2001 cult hit Donnie Darko. Fox has already taken North American rights.
Print Story
Send to a Friend
