When a director like David Cronenberg has to scrap a project, it’s a loss that everyone who loves moves should feel pretty acutely – especially if the project was a promising follow-up to an already great film. Thus, the news coming from IndieWire should set some tears a-flowing, as it seems that Focus Features has decided not to move forward with plans for Eastern Promises 2.
This news comes seemingly as a shock to everyone – even the director – considering that shooting was set to begin in October. The film would have been a sequel to Cronenberg’s 2006 London-set crime thriller Eastern Promises, and was slated to feature returning leads Vincent Cassel and Vigo Mortensen as members of a Russian organized crime syndicate.
The news came straight from Cronenberg himself while doing press for his upcoming film Cosmopolis in New York. According to him, the death-sentence was signed by higher-ups at Focus Features, and according to IndieWire, he was not happy about the news.
“We were supposed to start shooting ‘Eastern Promises 2’ in October,” Cronenberg [sic] said, still sounding frustrated and in disbelief. “[But] It’s done… If you don’t like it talk to James Schamus at Focus. It was his decision.”
This is grim news for fans of the original, like me, who wanted to learn more about the life and times of the Russian gangsters with whom we had come to be so fascinated. The news gets even more grim, though, as it leaves a gaping hole in the schedule for the director’s cinematic output. However, it will apparently give him time to finish a novel he has been working on, which is good news for any bibliophiles in the crowd.
I’m indescribably bummed out by this news, but what about you? Were you looking forward to Eastern Promises 2?
