David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen are set to revisit the shady underworld of London’s Russian mob with a currently untitled sequel to “Eastern Promises.”
Little is known about the project right now, but original scriber Steve Knight has penned the sequel. The film is already set up at Focus Features and they hope to get it in front of cameras next winter. Though the news seems to be coming out of left field, the film has actually been in the works since the spring of 2009. At the time, it was in merely in discussion stages as Cronenberg, Knight and producer Paul Webster batted around ideas. Well, clearly they found a direction to go in, but with no mention of Naomi Watts, we wonder just where the story will pick up. Needless to say, we are definitely excited and intrigued. “Eastern Promises” is one of the finest films for both the actor and director, and we’re curious to see where the story goes next.
The film will mark the duo’s fourth straight film together; they are clearly relishing their working relationship. The pair are already hard at work prepping the forthcoming Freud/Jung drama, “The Talking Cure” with Keira Knightley, Vincent Cassell and Michael Fassbender which is set to go in front of cameras in May.
Great news. Eastern Promises was a terrific movie. When it was revealed *SPOILER WARNING* that Viggo was a cop I nearly shat myself in my theater seat.
It definitely left the room there for more, but I wonder where they would go with the story, and if it's just going to stay on Viggo's character, or others as well…
Finally, a film that *needs* a sequel. I hated the ending. Made it feel cheap and episodic. This should hopefully change things.
This is going to be epic!
what's the Russian word for Godfather? Can't wait.
I thought Eastern Promises was passable but contrived. I think these Mortenson/Cronenberg collaborations have been overrated. To me, Cronenberg's as out of touch with what made his initial films great as Burton is – yet the latter tends to get maimed by critics while the former remains something of a critics' darling.
How exactly does a movie with an awful ending "need" a sequel?