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How would you make a sequel?

Discussion in 'Movies, Music and TV shows' started by Celestin, Dec 5, 2019.

  1. Celestin

    Celestin Dimensional Trunk

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    It's a kind of a plot bunny thread, but with a specific focus. Assume that you're asked to make a sequel to one of your favourite films, how would you make it? What is its plot and who would you cast or make a director? It can be a proper sequel, a prequel or even a remake/reboot. And it doesn't even necessary needs to be something that you consider a worthwhile attempt, as my first entry will prove, just something you considered because you simply wanted more of this film.


    Groundhog Day 2

    If there is a film that definitely doesn't need a sequel, it's this one. It's pretty much as good as it could ever be, but I really like the loop concept where the character improves himself in skill and behaviour, and there is not enough films like that.

    First of all, it's a sequel not a remake.

    The main character is Phil Connors and Rita Hanson's son who is an exact opposite of his father as he was at the beginning of the previous film. Instead of being too egocentric, he's too selfless and, because he can't compare to his famous parent who everyone in the town loves, has a very low self-esteem.

    Bill Murray's is in it, but his character is out of the town when the loop happens. Phil actually never spends Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney even though he puts his all in helping to prepare it every year.

    The main character's road to leaving the loop starts with him finally getting what he wants without worrying about people's feelings, something that takes quite a few repeats.

    It's only after a "perfect day" loop, something that he believed would stop repeats after learning by the phone about his father's experience, that he finally decides to stop caring and enjoying himself to fullest. When he finally finds a middle ground between his old self and his egoistic self, and stops worrying about being compared to his father, the next day arrives.

    Director: Peyton Reed (not a very inspired choice, but a reliable one)
    The main character: someone like Jay Baruchel, but ten years younger
     
  2. Zombie

    Zombie Black Philip Moderator DLP Supporter

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    Wasn't it theorized that Bill Murray lived through the time loop for a loooong time. I remember reading that on imager or cracked, but thought it might be a valid fan theory.

    From Wikipedia

    So I guess it has some meat to it. I'd be more interested in how someone that is 10k years old mentally would be able to parent a child and them not turn out a certain way.

    I'm going full Syed forgive me. But I've always liked that movie.
     
  3. Joe

    Joe The Reminiscent Exile ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter ⭐⭐⭐

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    I've read a lot of Groundhog Day theories - the topic and the loop just speaks to me. I like the concept. One of the considerations from that movie was that, after 10,000 years, Phil's perception of time would have altered so much that, to him, an actual year of 365 days wouldn't feel much longer than a normal day.

    An element I like to think introduced was some sort of mental block on his perception of time, by whatever being/God/whatever forced him into the loop in the first place. He never got older, so his perception of time remained that of a late-thirties man.

    Moreover, we saw only glimpses of that 10,000 years, and time passing was indicated by his proficiency at certain skills (playing the piano, learning languages, ice sculpting). But I imagine there were centuries of time we didn't see where he was purely insane, living in decadence and sin, and made Punxsutawney his dark playground...
     
  4. Zombie

    Zombie Black Philip Moderator DLP Supporter

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    Well I know what you need to write next.
     
  5. Celestin

    Celestin Dimensional Trunk

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    I previously liked 10k theory more, but now I agree with Rubin, the screenwriter, that a hundred years, a lifetime, is a better option for this film. It's just once you get past what is humanly possible, you will probably get into what Joe described, time when Phil didn't just say he was a god to Rita, but played one for the people of Punxsutawney, testing their characters and checking how far he can push them within 24 hours.
     
  6. Ched

    Ched Da Trek Moderator DLP Supporter ⭐⭐

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    I've been giving this thought over the past few days and finally came up with at least half of an answer. Bear with me while I get around to discussing it.

    Groundhog Day is a movie I haven't seen in years and years, but I agree it's an excellent standalone movie. I've also got a penchant for time loop stories, so it scratches that itch for me. I think the sequel proposed here would work reasonably well.

    Most movies that are designed to be standalone don't make great sequels, in my opinion. Some movies are too obvious about 'leaving room for a sequel' and that can be off-putting too. Movies based on TV shows have it easier, since typically they are glorified episodes with 2-3x the length and harder hitting plot points than the show could handle.

    The Mummy is a good standalone movie that I think had sequel potential, but they already did that. I didn't like the second one as much as the first but I think they approached it well, with the main characters having a young-ish kid who becomes a protagonist alongside them. This let them change up the dynamics of the show enough that it didn't feel like Round 2. It also made sense (in Universe) that something like the plot might occur, whereas a plot of "oh they went to a new egyptian burial site and look, it's another mummy exactly the same as last time!"

    If I was going to make a sequel to something (that wasn't a TV show) it'd probably be Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. I loved this movie and thought it was fun as fuck. It's fairly rare to see a show where the primary relationship focus is the bromance between brother and sister and that made it stand out to me. The two of them are grown and work as mercenaries who get hired to kill witches.

    I think a sequel would work because the basic premise isn't going to change - Hansel and Gretel end the show heading out for their next job, accompanied by a few of the secondary characters they met in this movie.

    For a sequel I might go for something along these lines:

    A "Big Bad" like Baba Yaga needs to be taken care of, and our heroes at the best ones for the job. Baba Yaga comes to a small German town to kill/eat Lutzelfrau, a 'white witch' in Germany (Hansel/Gretel's mom was a White Witch - these are 'good' ones). and they kick Baba Yaga's ass back to Russia (though cannot finish her off).

    Side plots could include Ben (the 'teenage fan' of H&G) having finished the equivalent of an apprentice-ship with them and going his own way alongside Edward, the troll side character from last time who should still be with them.

    Continue avoiding in-depth romance sub-plots. Focus on the brother-sister badass bond and the mentor-apprentice bond.

    Tie everything off nicely, with Baba Yaga back in Russia. Don't imply that she 'might come back' and don't leave obvious room for another sequel. If a third movie needs to be made a unique plot can be developed there.

    Perhaps in the third movie of the trilogy there could be more of a true romance plot-line as second to the brother-sister bond as H&G both settle down. Perhaps in this case all of the remaining witches start to hunt THEM down, in a reversal. So it's constant ambushes rather than a big bad.

    A fourth movie could have their families murdered or something, apart from whichever children would remain as side characters, having a parent-child bond be the secondary focus here to the brother-sister one. Perhaps someone/something was lying in wait for H&G to not only have children, but for those children to reach the age H&G were when they had their first brush with witchcraft.

    A fifth movie could have something about a Hunter's Guild being formed, and this could be the last one where the 'torch is passed' at the end of the movie, signalling the end of H&G's adventures and leaving their legacy.

    ...and bloody hell, but now I want to write/see this.

    What else did you ask?

    I dunno who the director would be. Whoever directed the first one. I know jack shit about directors.

    Actors? Uh, for the four that would re-appear in the sequel (Hansel, Gretel, Ben, Edward) use the same ones. For Baba Yaga maybe... some older lady who is good at acting.

    I got way more into this than I expected.

    TL;DR? Hansel and Gretel had a great focus on a brother-sister relationship which was a breath of fresh air after every most movies want to shoehorn in a romance plot line. I'd like to see more of that.
     
  7. Celestin

    Celestin Dimensional Trunk

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    Just wait till I post my Frozen 3 concept. I started with few general points and ended up with three pages of the outline.

    Now, that's the film that definitely could use a sequel and I agree that a brother-sister relationship is what makes it stand apart from similar movies. If I'm not wrong, they planned a next one after it made a quite good money for an R rated film, it was before Deadpool and Joker changed what can be expected of them, but it didn't work out.

    EDIT:
    I don't have a good outline for it, but in my opinion we could use a sequel to Dave as an antidote for today's politics. It would be about him finally getting a chance to be a president as an outsider that nobody expects to win and about a reporter trying to discover if there is more to his appearance and marriage to the ex-First Lady than simple coincidence.
     
    Last edited: Dec 8, 2019