“Edge of Tomorrow” is an interesting case-study in box office misfires that find critical acclaim and a second life after they leave the theaters. While the studio probably wasn’t happy with the overall box office performance of “Edge of Tomorrow,” which would go on to be known as “Live Die Repeat,” you can’t argue that the goodwill the film has received from fans and critics has propelled the idea of a sequel into almost getting made a number of times. So, what is keeping the sequel from getting the coveted green light? Doug Liman has the answer. He thinks, at least.
Speaking to Collider, Liman talked about “Edge of Tomorrow” and why he thinks the film underperformed at the box office. And he answers the question about why it’s taking so damn long for a sequel to actually get made.
“I hated the ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ title,” Liman explained. “I fought Warner Bros. on it and they insisted. And I think it’s the wrong title for the movie and I’m still hoping the film gets fully rebranded because these films live forever in libraries.”
As for the sequel, Liman clearly knows the challenge that lays before him. A critically-acclaimed sci-fi action film is no small feat. Doing it twice? That’s especially tricky. Add to it the wrinkle of time-travel and, well, you can understand why it’s taken so long for the sequel to come together.
So, where does the filmmaker want to go with the sequel?
“I’ve always been interested in the idea of a sequel being more character-driven than the first film because that’s not how things are normally done,” Liman said. “That’s been my approach when developing the sequel and because Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt are such phenomenal actors. I get sometimes the sequel just has to have more firepower or more explosions but no visual effect is going to top what you’re going to get from a great scene performed by Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.”
Sounds good, right? We all love character-driven films, and you can’t fault Liman for thinking Cruise and Blunt can carry such a film. The only problem is that the director needs both stars to be available and the right script to be written to get the ball rolling.
“It’s one of these things where if Tom, Emily, and I were to say, ‘we’re ready to pull the trigger on this script,’ it’s Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, the film gets made,” he said. “That’s pretty much how Hollywood works. The stars are the gatekeepers. If you can get Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt to commit to the movie, it’s going to happen.”
Obviously, Liman would be happy to do an “Edge of Tom..” errr, “Live Die Repeat” sequel. But as with many film projects that linger in development, the stars (in this case, we’re referring to A-list actors) have to align before “Live Die Repeat Repeat” can be made.
