'Departed' Stirs Sequel Buzz

[Brian Damage]

If your movie is a popular ($125 million and counting) and critical (Oscar nods include best picture) success, sequel buzz is natural.

In the case of Martin Scorsese's "The Departed," talk of a second installment is quite complicated.

According to both industry trades (citing unnamed sources), "Departed" screenwriter William Monahan is looking for a way to dig himself out of the pile of carnage than completed his Oscar-nominated gangster saga.

The Hollywood Reporter offers the specifics that Monahan's script may focus on Mark Wahlberg's Dignam character, which would make some sense for plot reasons, but also because Wahlberg was the only member of the star-studded cast to earn an Oscar nomination. A new part may be written for Scorsese favorite Robert DeNiro, who probably felt some regret about being left out of the film in the first place.

It's not like they have to look far for inspiration to go on. "The Departed" was based on the Hong Kong smash "Infernal Affairs," which produced two subsequent films itself. "Infernal Affairs 2" was a prequel and "Infernal Affairs 3" followed a character who, to give nothing away, fails to live through "The Departed." Warner Bros. has option rights on both movies.

Monahan is still batting around ideas and its expected that nothing could even go to script without the approval of Scorsese, who wouldn't necessarily direct a sequel but may still produce.

Is that enough uncertainty without any substance? Kudos, then, to the local entertainment journals.

[TJL]

Cool! I hope The Penguin and Catwoman are in this one!

[PrettyinPink55]

Originally Posted by TJL

Cool! I hope The Penguin and Catwoman are in this one!