Worst Sequel Ever in Works?

Chazz Palminteri is talking up a possible sequel to one of the greatest films of the 1990s, and we don't like the sound of it one bit.

Nov 29 2004

Hollywood loves the film franchise, a series of sequels that often lack imagination or originality but nevertheless remain a licence to print money thanks to their already built-in audience.

'Indiana Jones', 'Star Wars', 'Scream' and the like have all had every ounce of story successfully squeezed out of them, pleasing audiences far and wide who have grown to love their characters.

Other sequels meanwhile, have been made with little or no thought ('Grease II', 'Alien Vs Predator' and a couple of 'The Exorcist' efforts immediately spring to mind) resulting in terrible movies that sully the memory of the originals.

But now, there’s news of a sequel that will make even 'Police Academy 7: Mission to Moscow' seem credible, and that film is 'The Usual Suspects II'.

If rumours of a follow-up to one of the great films of the 90s are to be believed, chances are it won't come close to the first. Bryan Singer, now firmly at the top of the Hollywood tree thanks to his success with the 'X-Men' movies, is busy for the foreseeable future working on 'Superman' and 'Logan's Run', so it's unlikely he'll put his name to a sequel.

Singer's absence will also mean there's a question mark concerning the return of the original cast. Stephan Baldwin, Kevin Pollak et al might be desperate for a return to the film that established their names, but the star of the show and current theatre impresario Kevin Spacey might not be so keen.

Yet according to Chazz Palminteri, who played US Customs Detective Dave Kujan in the original, a follow-up is well on the way, under the rather unimaginative moniker of 'Searching For Keyser Soze'.

But haven't we already found him? Surely the success of the first film came down to its thought-provoking, absorbing plot, oblique script, and the eventual solving of the ultimate mystery. Why the need to explain further? What more is there to tell?

Mercifully the brilliant screenwriter of the original Christopher McQuarrie has yet to sign on, which may suggest that Palminteri is simply doing some serious wishful thinking.

But then again big Chazz says 'They're past the talking about it stage', so maybe the worst franchise in the history of film is just around the corner and maybe, just maybe we'll one day be bemoaning the release of 'The Usual Suspects 7: Mission to Moscow'. Or worse still 'Police Academy Vs The Usual Suspects'. You have been warned.

• 
•