The Resurrection of Constantine
You’ve heard the rumors, you’ve waited with bated breath, and now it’s finally time for the real deal. Francis Lawrence, the creative powerhouse who helmed the first Constantine movie back in 2005, has dropped some tantalizing hints about the sequel, Constantine 2. It’s not just any sequel though; this one promises to be darker, grittier, and yes, R-rated.
Francis Lawrence recently opened up in an interview with GameSpot, and if you’re a fan, what he said is going to make your day.
“So Constantine 2 got obviously held up by the writers strike. And we had to jump through a bunch of hurdles to get control of the character again, because other people had control of the Vertigo stuff. We have control. Keanu and Akiva Goldsman and I have been in meetings and have been hashing out what we think the story is going to be, and there’s more meetings of those that have to happen–the script has to be written–but really hoping that we get to do Constantine 2, and make a real rated R version of it.”
Why You Should Be Excited for Constantine’s R-Rated Comeback
Let’s be honest. The first Constantine movie had its flaws, but it also had Keanu Reeves, some badass otherworldly action, and the kind of lore that you could really dig your teeth into. Since its release, the film has attracted a cult following, largely due to Keanu Reeves’ role as a paranormal detective navigating between Paradise and Hell.
Now Francis Lawrence wants to give us a movie that won’t hold back. Imagine what an R-rated Constantine could mean for the character and the lore:
“One of the biggest things for me about the first one was we followed, per Warner Bros., the rules to make a PG-13 movie in terms of violence, blood, language, sexuality. But the ratings board gave us a hard R based on their gray zone of intensity,” Lawrence told Collider last November. “And my big, big regret was that we have an R-rated movie that’s really a PG-13 movie. And if I was going to have to go have an R, I would have really made an R-rated movie. I would have made it much scarier and much more violent and I would have really made an R-rated movie.”
Where Does Constantine 2 Stand Now?
The buzz around Constantine 2 has been as fluctuating as the character’s trips between realms. For years, fans wondered if they’d ever see a sequel, especially as the DC cinematic universe underwent changes. However, Lawrence’s latest update confirms that the project is more alive than ever. Though the script still needs to be penned, the key players are back in the game, and they’re discussing a vision that could rejuvenate the franchise.
What’s Next for Francis Lawrence?
While we eagerly await more details on Constantine 2, Lawrence has other projects cooking in his creative oven. He will soon take us back to the world of The Hunger Games with “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” set to hit screens on November 17, 2023.
The Final Word
Yes, there’s still work to be done, but isn’t that always the case with films that promise to break the mold? What matters is that Constantine 2 is not just a figment of our collective fan imaginations anymore. It’s a project that has legs and a vision that could redefine what an R-rated comic book adaptation can be. It’s the sequel we’ve been waiting for, and if Francis Lawrence, Keanu Reeves, and producer Akiva Goldsman have their way, it’ll be well worth the wait.
