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Marc Platt Going for Wanted 2 and Wicked at Universal

by Kevin Powers
July 15, 2008

Most of us knew this was coming - and we even wrote about it a few weeks ago. Variety confirms that a sequel to Timur Bekmambetov's kickass Wanted (reflexively titled Wanted 2) released last month is already in the works, bringing back the original director and writers, along with producer Marc Platt. The real news today, however, is about Platt, who has signed a new contract with Universal extending his stay at the studio until 2012. During that time and in addition to the Wanted sequel, Platt will also produce a big-screen adaptation of the hit musical "Wicked" as well as "Jesus Christ Superstar." Two musicals and a sequel to a successful action movie - excited for Universal's future?

Firstly, the news that obviously interests me more. Platt says that for the follow up to Wanted "the writers are at work already, and those creative discussions are taking place." Brilliant! Obviously, if you've seen the flick, you can imagine those writers have quite a challenge ahead of them considering how the story concluded at somewhat of a dead-end. But if you think of the hyperbolic original, I'm sure a crafty extension isn't too big of an obstacle. Platt adds that the intention is to bring lead James McAvoy back, though you do have to wonder what appeal of the new film might have lacking his sultry sidekick, Angelina Jolie.

The other big item on Platt's radar is bringing "Wicked" to the movie theater. This shouldn't come as a surprise to those in the know, since both Universal and Platt already have ties to the property - co-financing and producing respectively. With Mamma Mia! out this week (and Sweeney Todd, Hairspray and Enchanted of last year), it seems like musical movies are gaining a bit of steam. Donna Langley of Universal said, "Our goal now is absolutely to make the Wicked film, but much like Judy Craymer wouldn't give up screen rights to Mamma Mia! until the stage show had reached its pinnacle, Marc and Stephen Schwartz are very mindful of the right timing. But we're dying to do it." Platt also agreed to supervise a remake of "Jesus Christ Superstar" during his additional five years at Universal.

Wanted 2 and Wicked span the landscape pretty well. Which are you waiting for?

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Garrett.king

ugh....
Darrin

universal have alot of blockbusters this summer and they're going to do it again. Anyway wanted was best blockbuster i've seen so far this year, it was funny and had alot more kick ass action than iron man. So I like that there will be a sequel.
Daniel

Definitely out for Wanted 2. Wanted is not a good movie. Crappy plot, crappy CGI, and just plain cheesy. The action issn't even very good. The only thing it has going for it is the keyboard scene and the .5 second of Angelina's ass.
http://handfulofwires.blogspot.com DCompose

The action in Wanted is great. It was 3 seconds of her ass. Make it more like thw comic. Wasn't there superpowers?
Nettle

I loved Wanted. Not the best effects, but it was so much fun to watch. My mom even asked me if there was going to be a sequel. As for Wicked; OH MY GOD!!! I worship the book which is by far a lot darker than the play, but I still wouldn't mind seeing the happy version of the Witch's story on screen. Has anyone else seen the play and read the book?
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

Wanted lacked a bit for me and w/o Jolie I am not sure if this film will stand up. I think she was a big draw for a lot of people and it left some people not too pleased (a real love it or hate it film).
http://www.tnrlive.com Viper

I saw Wanted last night. I liked it a whole lot more than I thought I would (glorifying killing bugs me, and I hate Angelina Jolie). Before the movie was even over I was already pumped for the sequel. Yes, the things that happen are cheesy and completely unrealistic, but there's just something about it that I find fun. Although, I'm sure that if I had ever read the comics I wouldn't like it simply because it doesn't look the same and the story is probably a lot different. Oh well. I recommend the director's earlier works Night Watch and Day Watch (Russian films), although they can be confusing at times. I have the "box set". You just have to set your mind to knowing that these movies are completely unrealistic in every way and enjoy the ride.
Kendra

I love Wicked (the book) and haven't had the chance to see the stage production, though I've listened to the music and love it too. I couldn't be more excited about getting to see it on screen. Though I do with it would be darker, like the books, I'm sure that would upset a lot of the diehard fans of the musical.
Kilo Alpha

Wanted was pretty damn good. I thought it has pretty good cgi for this type of movie. I'd watch part two if they made it
cody

wanted disappointed me so bad like somebody said crap plot, horrible effects and the action was so freaking stupid and laughable besides the warehouse scene when he kills like 935808 guys. This story has so much potential but bekmanbetov needs to go back to the watch movies cuz in my opinion he sucked it up here. hopefully the 2nd will follow through on the potential
Will S. (Co. Springs)

I'm pumpT for Wicked. I loved the book. However, I always saw it done by Tim Burton. I occasionally felt like I was reading a Tim Burton script while reading it. I'm interested in seeing who they cast in Wicked as well.
Maxx

Wanted was ok I suppose I didnt like James McAvoy in the role...of course I have to give him props for the right on accent you wouldnt even know he wasnt from the states...Jolie made the first film for me not because of her looks but how her character developed through the film...unless they have a totally kick ass story I wont bother seeing it until it went to DVD... In my opinion, Wicked is one of the most over-rated Broadway shows out there...but I love the book and it could be an amazing film adaption of the musical...I do have high hopes that the movie would win me over when the stage version couldn't...just so people know I LOVE musicals...Wicked just wasnt my favorite...
http://www.myspace.com/kevjohnphotography kevjohn

I can't see myself wanting (heh) to see Wanted 2, but then I wasn't too interested in seeing Wanted until a week or so before its release and I really enjoyed that film. It's hard to know where they'll take the next film considering the outcome of the first. And it was 2.7 seconds of Jolie's ass. Not that I was counting. 100% pass on Wicked. No more musicals for me. Even Sweeney Todd left me a bit wanting (he strikes again!) overall. Unless you count Once as a musical, and I don't, I haven't seen a musical worth watching since Chicago. And as I've completely gotten over my late-90's/early-2k's infatuation with Renee Zellweger, I probably wouldn't enjoy that seeing that one again as much as I did the first time.
Tom

Wanted ist typical blockbuster-garbage for joe dumbass - hollywood in it's truest. Like it or not, see it or not, you'll have to live with it. And wow, this time they have writers.
dave13

Didn't see wanted, will eventually, but I don't care much about it or a sequel to it. As for wicked... too soon. I love musicals and I have read the book and will be seeing Wicked on stage in a couple months, however, in the end, it'll turn into another Rent. The general public loved it, but if you talk to the original Rent fanbase, they were upset that the movie was made (they saw it, just didn't appreciate it). I knew eventually they would make a Wicked movie, however, I do wish they'd wait a few more years, or 10. I just feel its too soon for a Wicked movie. I mean, they waited about 10 years to do Rent, and Mamma Mia (I think) and Sweeny Todd are older than that. Now, if someone made a musical free screen adaption of the book, THAT would be very worth seeing. The book is much darker and I feel that it is also much deeper than the musical. my two cents.
RandyG

I saw Wanted yesterday for the second time this summer. Definately my favorite, definately the most clever and, other than Iron Man, in a league of its own. And James McAvoy's performance was absolutely first class. Again, by far the best of the summer, even more interesting than Downy's. And the scene in the library with the shot 'heard around the room' was, again, the best scene in film this summer.
alan

wanted all the way i loved the movie even though its a bit cheesy, cannot wait t for wanted 2
craziemutant

haven't gotten the chance to see wanted, yet. i'm excited that a film adaptation of Wicked's still in the works, even though that was the original plan. haha.
ImaginaryVisionary

Loved Wanted, but I can see that being a franchise that strangles the life out of itself by doing too much with each new movie. A sequel will be cool, but it won't top the uniqueness of the first film because Timur's style was still new to a lot of us. However, I would love to see Wicked made into a movie as long as it's made with a unique style and done as well as Chicago. I've been trying to go see it on stage for years now, and never have managed to get tickets. I don't want to see it made into a simple musical like Hairspray or Rent though. I think it deserves a bigger treatment. Musicals have been gaining momentum since Chicago's release, but their have been so many failures that for every good musical we get two sub-par to crappy ones to go with it. I think if Hollywood can string together 2-3 solid and unique musicals in one year it would really pick up momentum, but when we get Mamma Mia! (which I think was a pretty poor choice for a film, not to mention just...dumb), a poorly made Rent, and an odd ball musical like Sweeny Todd musicals are going to have a hard time gaining mass appeal. (they have an uphill battle as it is simply by definition)
j_money

Yay... Now they can bring Megan Fox for Smoking Aces/Matrix reloaded, *cough* I mean Wanted 2!
puppyperson

I'm definitely a Wicked fan; never actually heard of Wanted, I'm a bit out of the loop sometimes with movies. I'm excited for the Wicked movie, but I just hope that they do it right and use Broadway actors as was done in Rent. Wicked will surely be tricky to try to transfer well from the stage to the screen, but if they can pull it off I will be delighted.
ron

I went to see Wanted twice, honestly I never really noticed bad effects, except maybe the rats, but I thought it was awesome. However, after the first time seeing it I said that I wouldn't like a sequel because it might not be as good, but if they are making one then I'm willing to give it a try and hope they out-do themselves from the first one. Wicked I'm too interested in but it will be a big thing for a lot of people because it has become so popular everywhere. However, they may ruin it (because in my opinion books are normally destroyed when made into a film as they miss bits out that some people really want to see so if they miss anything out from the musical people will be rioting.
ELIZA

WANTED WAS THE BEST MOVIE EVER SO FAR BUT IF YOU BRING SOMEONE WHO WE THINK IS DEAD FORM THE FIRST WANTED TO LIFE IN THE SECOND WANTED SAY ANGANELINA JOLIE THEN THAT WILL MAKE THINGS EVEN MORE BETTER AND I THINK ALL THE ACTORS FIT JUST RIGHT IN THE MOVIE . I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WANTED 2 I MAY BE 13 BUT TAKE IT FROM ME ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES EVER HOPE THAT WANTED 2 IS EVEN BETTER THATS GOING TO BE HARD TRYING TO MAKE A BETTER MOVIE BUT I THINK THAT EVERYONE WHO HELP MAKE THE FIRST CAN MAKE A REALLY GOOD MOVIE .
NgooNam

If not for the R rating, Wanted could have topped 200 Million(and counting) net-wise at the box-office. Basically, it's Spider-man meets Daredevil meets Elektra meets Hitman meets Hancock. The drama is there (though it could have been written better, maybe for the sequel). The action is there. Good formula. Awesome! James played Wes Gibson ala Tobey Mcguire played Peter Parker, probably intended as such to follow Spider-man's success. Angelina's Fox was much better and sexier than Daredevil's Elektra, played by Jennifer Garner, because of more action sequences and a naked scene for the gun-toting assasin. Morgan's Sloan is as brilliant, though very subdued, as that of the other great movie villians. Thomas played a good "Cross," but wasn't written to be as intensed as Uncle Ben in Spider-man. Overall, 11 stars out of 10.
Justin

Wanted was a totally awesome movie. The acting may not have been the best and I've seen better CG but it was fun and entertaining and it had some neat twists. And the CG was pretty good, just not the best. A Wanted 2 would be great, I'm not sure how they would make one though. As long as McAvoy comes back I'll watch it. As far as Wicked goes... I'm a huge fan of the musical. I was able to see it In December of 2008 in Chicago and it was honestly Amazing. The best musical I've seen. It will be neat seeing how they adapt it for the big screen. The show on stage is just absolutely great to watch and it's safe for the whole family. I'll be happy with it as long as Idina Menzel, Eden Espinosa, or Dee Roscioli play Elphaba. As far as Glinda goes, Kristin Chenoweth or Annaleigh Ashford deserve the role. But, make sure that you are able to see the stage production before they make a movie. It's something that nobody should miss, unless musicals aren't your thing.
Ashley

Okay so Wicked was originally a BOOK not a MUSICAL. If they are going to make a movie based on Wicked, they need to make it based on the book not the musical. The book is dark and twisted, the musical has happy endings. Stick to the story and forget the musical.