Danny Boyle addresses the planned sequel and its “rights issues”
Over the past few weeks, director Danny Boyle has been cornered and queried at various promo screening Q&A’s about the status of the 28 Days Later sequel, that’s become known as 28 Months Later. Each time, he’s reiterated what he said two years ago, which is that heâd like to direct it. Many of these queries may have come about from a recent interview with original writer Alex Garland in which he said there wasn’t a script and any possibilities of it being made were tied up in some issues revolving around the rights to make another film.
This confusion led to Ryan Rotten writing the piece 28 Months Later: Dead or Alive?
Earlier today, at the press conference for Boyle’s new film 127 Hours, an anxious journalist brought the subject up once again, and this is exactly how Boyle responded:
“I would love to direct another one of it because I watched the second one, and I wasn’t that involved in the second one, and I really enjoyed watching it as a punter. (Note: a “punter” would be like an average moviegoer.) When you make films, you never really see them the way punters see them, itâs weird. You’re entrusted with editing a film for an audience and yet, you’re as far away from what they will see as you can ever get, because you’ve watched it hundreds of time. I watched [the sequel] as a punter and I thought I’d love to direct the next one, and that’s where that began really, but it’s a question of time.”
When asked if it would be after 2012, he joked, possibly referring to the Mayan prediction, “Well, yeah, if we’re all spared,” then added, “If I’m still alive after the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics.”
He confirmed what Garland said about there not being a script at the moment but that he had an idea, and he denied any rumors that James Franco would star in 28 Months Later.
One thing that Boyle didn’t answer during the press conference was about the rights issues, but in an exclusive interview afterwards, he addressed it with us:
“If a thing’s good enough, a story, an idea, there are no rights problems. Not on the kind of level we work at it. Basically, if you’re talking about the rights to ‘The Lord of the Rings’ on these massive properties. There are no problems if it’s good enough and there won’t be any problem I don’t think. Because it comes from a two pretty cool previous movies, I think if it’s a new idea that’s pretty good, it’ll get made whether I direct it or not.”
So there you have it, the bottom line on 28 Months Later for all of you that may encounter Danny Boyle in the next few months:
28 Months Later is not dead. Danny wants to direct the movie but doesnât have the time or a script. When he chooses to make the movie, which isn’t likely to happen until after his current obligations i.e. his Frankenstein play in London and the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony, than any “rights issues” probably wonât be an issue.
So now, we can leave Danny Boyle alone and let him go back to talking about his excellent new movie, 127 Hours, which is exactly what we did in an interview that will run on ComingSoon.net sometime before that movie’s limited release on November 5.
Source: Edward Douglas
