No one will deny that Spring Breakers was one of the most polarizing films to be released in quite some time. For some – including this author – it was a stroke of brilliance from the warped mind of Harmony Korine, a narrative that operated on multiple levels in terms of its themes, rather than solely being the 90 minute montage of partying and nudity that it’s often discredited as. The shot composition and cinematography were also wondrously trance-like, furthering the feeling that it’s a film you probably want to look away from, but can’t.
And then there was James Franco’s white rapper gangster character that completely stole the show. Speaking of good old James Franco, he isn’t too happy that Hollywood has given the green light to Spring Breakers: The Second Coming without consulting him or Korine. The star took to Instagram to voice his displeasure over the compromising of artistic integrity, and essentially called out the sequel as a cash grab.
This is not being done with Harmony Korine or my consent. The original was wholly Harmony’s creation and these producers are capitalizing on that innovative film to make money on a weak sequel. I want everyone to know that whoever is involved in the sequel is jumping on board a poison ship. It will be a terrible film, with a horrible reason d’être: to make money off someone else’s creativity. Can you imagine someone making the sequel to “Taxi Driver” without Scorsese and De Niro’s consents? Insanity! I’m speaking up for Harmony and his original vision and for any creative person who cares about preserving artistic integrity
Truthfully, Mr. Franco raises some damn good points about the current exploitative state of Hollywood, and I tend to agree with him here. I really can’t see the Spring Breakers sequel being anywhere near as good as its predecessor without the involvement of Franco or Korine. At this point, it definitely feels like this is just an attempt to cash in on the goodwill earned by the first film.
Tell us, what do you think about Spring Breakers: The Second Coming? Is it simply just a cash grab? Will it be as impressive as the original? Sound off below!
