While Jessica Chastain has been climbing the Hollywood ranks with conviction, starring in Oscar nominees such as The Help and Zero Dark Thirty, I rather liked her role as a punk-rocking “mother” in the Guillermo del Toro produced Mama. I know it wasn’t a critical darling by any means, but the whole movie was a bit of fantastical horror with a true family vibe, so when it was announced that Mama 2 was entering the early stages of production, I actually showed some excitement.
Fast-forward over a year and there hasn’t been a single piece of news on the sequel. Mama director Andres Muschiett was supposed to helm Universal’s reboot of The Mummy, but left citing creative differences, and his sister Barbara expressed only surprise after initially hearing that a Mama sequel was in the “early stages,” so it’s no surprise that news is sparse. David Kosse, Universal Pictures President Of International, can be blamed for all the hubbub, but he showed very focused intentions to turn Mama into a marketable horror franchise under Universal’s brand.
In an attempt to dig up the past and get to the bottom of Kosse’s words, I had the chance to ask Jessica Chastain if she’d heard anything on the possibility of a Mama 2, or if Kosse’s statements were just wishful thinking. When I mentioned the possible sequel, the actress threw a big smile on her face, but this was her response:
Mama 2? Really? When I was shooting the movie I was actually pitching ideas for the sequel. [Laughs] I was like, “We could have this ghost…” – but no one has ever gotten back to me.
As any good journalist can tell you, typically when an actor or actress doesn’t know about the movie you’re asking, it’s not a great sign. Again, Kosse’s wishes to turn Mama into a franchise were all preliminary, as the executive stated talks were underway in getting things moving, but with those rumors coming out around February 2013, I’d say things aren’t looking too good.
But, in the same breath, it’s refreshing to hear that Chastain would gladly reprise her role, even going as far to reveal she was dropping hints on set about keeping her character’s story moving, so if the opportunity ever does present itself, consider Chastain in! Of course, this would depend on the direction a sequel could possibly go. No sense in wasting your time with speculation, though! If the ghost of Mama 2 ever decides to rise again, we’ll be sure to let you know, but as of now, don’t expect to see Chastain fighting any maternal horror villains again any time soon.
