There have been a lot of small, brilliant pieces of movie news lately. Cool ideas and interesting people attached to projects with potential. That’s why it’s particularly bitter to hear news that feels a lot like gargling acid. This specific swallow comes from Deadline Fredericksburg who report that Universal is back to mining their own library to come up with Midnight Run 2.
Maybe a sequel would be a good idea. Who knows. Martin Brest had his own sins as a director, but Beverly Hills Cop and Midnight Run were his best. It’s tough that he ended his career on Gigli, but it might be even tougher that Universal is working with Brett Ratner to direct a sequel to the Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin-starring flick about an accountant trying his best to keep breathing while the FBI, some bounty hunters and the mob are on his tail. What’ even better than his aggressive mediocrity is that they’ve got David Elliot and Paul Lovett (Four Brothers and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra) to write the script.
So this is happening. The knee-jerk Ratner hatred is natural here given the neo-classic status of the flick, but taking a step back for a moment, it could be a good thing. If this actually gets through the arduous development process, Ratner might become the right man for the job by returning to the movies that made him truly successful – the Rush Hour movies. They aren’t exactly the same style of action comedy as Midnight Run, and they’re definitely not as skillfully made, but since De Niro is on board this new incarnation, his presence could be the best bet edging possible. De Niro of 2012 is not De Niro of 1988, but maybe dipping into his past will be like a fountain of youth.
This is all optimism in the face of crummy news, but maybe that’s all there is when a medium talent gets handed something as interesting as this without the back-up of above average writers.
What do you think?
