Amazing to think that six years have passed since the comic adaptation Wanted helped create a Hollywood superstar in James McAvoy. It also introduced many to the aggressive, action-packed stories of writer Mark Millar, who would bring his comics Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2, and Kingsman: The Secret Service to the screen. A sequel to Wanted has been talked about often but without star Angelina Jolie who refused an opportunity to return, the film has never really gotten off the ground. But could that be about to change? Producer Marc Platt certainly thinks so.
Speaking with Comingsoon.net, Platt explains why a sequel has taken so long...
Platt: “We have a script that’s getting pretty good. To do a sequel when it wasn’t really set up for a sequel–one of our main characters dies in it. You don’t want to just retread a similar story, but when we get the script to a certain bar, there will be a sequel. It’s taken a while because it’s challenging, as I said, because we lost a main, main character, so where that James McAvoy character goes now… we have good ideas though. It’s coming along.”
At least he seems confident in McAvoy's return, despite the actor being more in-demand now than he was in 2008. The Jolie thing was an obvious hurdle, though, as her character "Fox" was killed off at the end of the first movie. That didn't stop producers from trying to lure her back. When that failed, Kristen Stewart's name popped up to play a new female character but that was a long time ago and circumstances have probably changed.
So it's an update but not much of one. We don't know who would be directing or if any other stars would return. What it sounds like to me is that a script for Wanted 2 has been worked on for so long that nobody wants to just give up on it, even though there isn't any clamor a sequel. If this happens it's going to be a good ways off, and the longer it takes the less viable the whole thing becomes.
