May 12 2008'Donnie Darko' Sequel Will Make for Disappointing Dorm Movie Night
Whenever I get a lot of emails on one subject, it inevitably means something surprisingly great or incredibly, tragically awful has happened. So when emails regarding a Donnie Darko sequel started rushing in, I assumed it was the prior: eager fans of the cult film alerting me to how excited I should be that Richard Kelly was returning to his single hit rather than attempting further Southland Tales. But as I looked closer at the emails, a sadder, angrier tone emerged. The subject wasn't "Donnie Darko 2!!!!", it was "Donnie Darko 2????" Another read, "Positive outcome unlikely."
What the hey? If college taught me anything, it's that everyone but me in college loved Donnie Darko, or at least pretended to so they wouldn't be accused of "not getting it." Surely there must be a reason for this sudden backlash against a sequel.
Hmm, let's take a look. It's called S. Darko, and it's about Donnie's sister. That makes sense, given that Donnie dies. They got the same actress to return to the role--always a good sign. Should be fine as long as they get a strong supporting cast like... a guy from Gossip Girl, someone from Step Up 2 the Streets, and the tall-haired fellow from Dragonball? All right, I guess that works, if Richard Kelly thinks he can pull it off with... Oh, Kelly isn't involved in any capacity? Well, so long as someone else with a similarly unique vision takes over, like... Chris Fisher, director of Rampage: The Hillside Strangler Murders and an episode of NBC's Chuck?
OK. This is doomed.
Donnie Darko Sequel [Screen Daily]
Reader Comments
1. Wayne - May 12, 2008 2:06 PM
good. Donnie Darko was bollocks.
I too am weary of being accused of 'not getting' it. Hopefully this shitty sequel will destroy the original film and I won't be subjugated to it anymore.
2. dsd - May 12, 2008 2:27 PM
i read about this on total film and someone who left a comment contacted R. Kelly via myspace about this. Apparently the director/producer was in some ways attached to the first D.Darko but didnt get his name put in the credits because he was basically just a waste of space. so now this is his revenge....destroying the film by making a meaningless, predictable, unrelated sequel. sucks balls.
3. Herner_Wartzhog - May 12, 2008 3:13 PM
It wont ruin anything though, nobody says Oh the Exorcist is a terrifying highlight in the horror genre but oh wait there are somewhat unrelated sequels hmmm I feel the original has been tainted.
4. TetterkeT - May 12, 2008 3:13 PM
No, no, no, no, no.
5. Rod - May 12, 2008 3:34 PM
#3 - That's the way it should be, but it depends on how big of a dick the person is. Look at Star Wars, and how everyone claims the prequels ruined their childhood memories. It won't ruin it for me, but I'm also not a drama queen.
6. neurolux - May 12, 2008 4:12 PM
straight to video. like American Psycho 2.
7. Herner_Wartzhog - May 12, 2008 4:50 PM
#5 - It just comes down to being able to separate out the two things. Transformers the Bay film was unadulterated shit that besmirched the name of Transformers. My appreciation of Transformers : The Movie remains unaffected and if anything heightened.
"Till all are one." vs "Protect the allspark Shia while i get kicked the fuck out of by Mega...... er whoever this is."
8. Snoodle - May 12, 2008 6:44 PM
Won't ruin the original of course, and I won't judge it until we get a look at it, but I really, really have a special hate for when the male lead is subsequently replaced by a female lead, or a child lead. :(
9. Pepper - May 13, 2008 3:28 PM
First of all, is anyone really that surprised? Any movie nowadays that makes even a remotely good amount of money gets a sequel. This movie was relatively big, so I believe a crappy, stright-to-DVD, second installment is a given.
Secondly, don't hate on the original just because it's fashionable. I hate that. It was a genuinely fresh, innovative movie that was, more or less, well acted (C'mon, Swayze as a pedophile) and it got so much attention as an under-the-radar cult film that once it got too popular people started getting sick of it. I did. But that's no reason to say that it's a bad movie.
10. Snoodle - May 16, 2008 2:43 AM
@ #9
Actually, the first movie was a bit of a box office disaster....didn't even recoup x_x. Either way....I just hope they do it a little bit of justice...
11. Pepper - May 28, 2008 3:34 PM
They won't.