A couple weeks ago Kevin mentioned a quote Mark Wahlberg gave to Extra saying they were now exploring the idea of a sequel to the Oscar-winning film The Fighter. He said, “Now we’re gonna talk about doing No. 2… we’re gonna do the Ward/Gatti trilogy and make it real.” The immediate reaction from a few commenters was that of raised eyebrows and a general query of “Why?”
I remember walking out of The Fighter and Laremy saying to me, “I’m surprised they didn’t cover the Gatti fights. That’s what Ward is really known for.” To that point I think it makes the story told in The Fighter a better choice, since it was the lesser known side of Micky Ward and some would probably argue it’s actually more about Dickie (Christian Bale) than Micky. So maybe the idea of a sequel focusing on Micky’s brawls with Arturo Gatti would be just as eye-opening, if not more of an entertainment piece… Sort of how Rocky became Rocky III, IV and V.
Now, on the day the DVD and Blu-ray for The Fighter hit shelves, a new interview with Wahlberg is up at Entertainment Weekly and he is again talking about doing another film. “I got bit by the bug, and now I’m trying to plant the idea in everyone’s head that we should do — not five or six Fighters like Rocky — but one more because the big thing that Micky Ward was famous for was his three epic battles with Arturo Gatti,” Wahlberg told EW’s Jeff Labrecque. “So we’re talking about possibly taking one more run at it.”
Wahlberg’s next film is Contraband, a remake of an Icelandic film which just added J.K. Simmons to the cast and will begin shooting next month in New Orleans for a March 16, 2012 release. That film finds Wahlberg playing a security guard whose financial woes force him back into his smuggling ways.
Wahlberg had to get back in shape for his role in Contraband after letting himself slide a little following The Fighter. He even mentions that while shooting Ted for Seth MacFarlane he and his sparring partner would go a few rounds during breaks. “[In] between shooting this movie that I’m doing, we had a couple of hours off while they shot another couple of scenes, so we flew back to the hotel, got in our boxing gear, boxed, took a shower, and went back to the set,” Wahlberg said.
Should things progress from the talking stages to the point the film is actually going to get made Wahlberg expects the entire cast to be back which includes Christian Bale, Melissa Leo and Amy Adams and says Dickie and Micky are all for it. “They’re both thrilled by the possibility. I just keep getting the phone calls… [saying], ‘Make sure you get it done.'”
So now I ask you, are you interested in seeing more of Micky Ward’s story or was one round enough?
