'The Fighter' star Mark Wahlberg confirms 'The Fighter 2' is in the works
听was one of the best movies of 2010, and also one of most (pleasantly) surprising. Many expected a traditional sports drama biopic, but instead, quirky听auteur听David O. Russell delivered a darkly funny look at the life and rise of middleweight boxer 鈥淚rish鈥� Micky Ward to the status of champion in the early 2000s.
However, boxing fans know that Micky鈥檚 rise to champion was only the beginning of his story 鈥� which is why听Fighter听蝉迟补谤 Mark Wahlberg let it be known early this past spring that听was in the works.
Since that initial reveal by Wahlberg,听听has been gradually veering into the fast-track. First we learned that Wahlberg was听, with plans to reprise his role as Ward; soon after that, we learned that David O. Russell was interested in at least听听(if not returning to direct).
There's a video clip from the upcoming听Spike TV Guys Choice Awards,听where听The Fighter听won an award for 鈥淕uy Movie of the Year." Taking to the stage with Russell and the real life Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund (海角大神 Bale鈥檚 character), Wahlberg used the platform as an appropriate launch pad to announce听The Fighter听sequel:
鈥淲e left out the Aturo Gatti fights for a reason鈥ecause that鈥檚 for 鈥楩ighter 2鈥�. We鈥檙e not going to do 鈥楩ighter鈥� 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, but we鈥檙e gonna do 2. We鈥檙e gonna do the Ward/Gatti trilogy.鈥�
Wahlberg was, of course, a producer on the first听Fighter听and was really the driving force for getting that movie made . If he鈥檚 making this announcement at a public event of this nature, consider听The Fighter 2听all but greenlit. Hopefully it will be one of those rare sequels that is as awards-worthy 听- if not more so 鈥� than its predecessor (see:听The Godfather II).
The only question now is: Will the original cast members all return?
We鈥檝e stated before that 海角大神 Bale and actress Melissa Leo both have Wahlberg and his passion to make听The Fighter听to thank for their respective Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress Oscars. I would expect that even if they weren鈥檛 fully into the idea, a basic sense of loyalty would motivate them to return as Micky鈥檚 half-brother/trainer, Dicky Eklund, and Micky鈥檚 mother/manager, Alice Ward. Similarly, Amy Adams has enjoyed a nice career boost听since she got her third Best Supporting Actress nomination for playing Micky鈥檚 girlfriend, Charlene Fleming (see: her role as Lois Lane in听). Since her character goes on to become Micky鈥檚 wife, and was by his side for the Gatti fights, I would expect Adams would have similar incentive to return. But we鈥檒l see.
No word yet on when听The Fighter 2听will go into production or hit theaters 鈥� but considering how busy all of the people involved with the franchise are, and how motivated Wahlberg seems to be, I would expect the film to start ramping up for production sooner before later.
You can catch the听Spike TV Guys Choice Awards听Friday June 10 @ 9/8c on Spike TV.
Source:听
Kofi Outlaw blogs at t.
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