MEAN GIRLS 2, ROAD TRIP 2,GREASE 3, NAKED GUN 4, BAD
NEWS BEARS 2, WITHOUT A PADDLE 2
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the
video store, a whole new line of sequels threatens to
crowd the new release shelves. Paramount Famous Prods.
announced plans to raid the libraries of Paramount,
Paramount Vantage, DreamWorks, MTV Films and Nickelodeon
Movies in search of source material to sequelize,
according to The Hollywood Reporter. Projects already in
development include sequels to Mean Girls, Road Trip,
The Naked Gun, Bad News Bears and Grease. First out of
the gate will be Without a Paddle: Nature's Calling, due
out in early 2009.
If you're saying to yourself, "Wait a minute, haven't
some of these movies already been sequel-ized, sometimes
more than once?" the answer is yes. (Naked Gun, Bad News
Bears, Grease). If you're then wondering, "Why more
sequels?" the answer is, as Deep Throat told Bob
Woodward, "Follow the money." The unit is headed by
Louis Feola, who formerly ran Universal Studios Home
Entertainment, which made three direct-to-video sequels
to American Pie and three to Bring It On. Each sold
between one to two million copies, translating into many
millions of dollars without the risks and expense of
thearical distribution.
I have absolutely no problem with low-budget productions
that trade on their resemblance to well-known titles, as
long as they're smartly made with a degree of fun,
intelligence, and style. That's been in short supply
lately in the direct-to-video productions I've seen.
We'll see what happens when Paramount Famous starts
releasing their line in earnest starting in 2010, at a
pace of five to six films annually.
From Cinematical.com |
