Noticed this on CineScape, (although no mentions of MINIs):

It's looking good for ITALIAN JOB 2

Sequel could be shooting by March

Author: Patrick Sauriol

Source: Variety

Date: 9/27/2004

Variety reports today that Paramount Pictures is in talks with most of the cast of THE ITALIAN JOB for a sequel. According to the trade discussions have started with Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Seth Green, Mos Def and Jason Statham, and the studio's first choice to direct is F. Gary Gray, the guy that helmed the 2003 remake.

The sequel's script also beings back the writing team of Wayne and Donna Powers, and rumor has it the second JOB will take the team to Paris, the French Alps and the beaches of St. Tropez.

Paramount would like to wrap up talks and start shooting the movie by March of next year, for subsequent release in November 2005. It could happen.

http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial...&obj_id=42567#

 

It jolly well BETTER have MINIs in it!!!!!

Actually, I'd hate to see a classic title like The Italian Job drug through the muck of the Hollywood remake machine. One remake was enough for me. Aside from that, a film based on a heist set in the above mentioned locations would be fun....it just takes great care when tampering with what is considered by many a classic....and I'm not sure I trust Hollywood to get it right.

Now if it DID have MINIs in it, all would be forgiven!!!

 

Ugh, sequels, always with the bloody sequels!!! Seems kinda cheap.

 

Yeah but if they don't ever make the sequel we will never know if it was any good!!

Take Terminator 2 for instance. Most people have long ago forgotten about Terminator 1.

I say hell yeah make another one. If it tanks it tanks. But it might just be real good. No way to tell.

Now if it does'nt have MINI's in it then it will tank!

It will hopefully have Charlize Theron in a topless MINI... or is that a topless Theron in a MINI...

 

The former would be more worthwhile.



I really hope that this becomes a reality ...with everyone present... including the MINIs!

:smile:

 

The original is the best

 

I agree, Lotsie! I think the original Italian Job with Michael Caine is a very good movie. The new one was fair-to-middling, but the MINIs were awesome!

Clover

 

No offense, lot15 & MINIclo, in me saying here that the original to me was extremely elementary. Not dynamic. Not interesting. Not funny. Not exciting. Not anything. I regret buying the combo (Marky Mark's version was one of the reasons for me owning one today). Anyway, take care:smile:

 

The opening shots are great,and the mafia in the mountains is a hoot,come on

 

:smile: No offense taken, Erik! I guess it's just a matter of generational differences. I prefer the long, smooth, sweeping shots in IJ#1 to the newer style of cinematography! And the little villages and mountain scenes are so awesome! I guess living in L.A. and seeing familiar sites was not as entertaining to me as seeing the European sites in the original!


Clover

 

I enjoyed both, IJ#1, and teh remake.



Danny

 

Yes, I need to lighten up:smile:

Very true:smile:

 

I apologize in advance for any ranting I may do in this post but...

The "happily ever after" ending of the 2003 Italian Job doesn't leave a whole lot of room for a sequel. Not to mention that they destroyed almost all of the film's thirty-some MINIs, and Indi Blue is no longer available as a an option to consumers. As a general rule, I've found that going back and making a sequel to a stand-alone film, just because a studio thinks it could make money, is artistically a BAD idea. That said, I'd really like to see this film made, as long as it's better than the first one.

If I had to choose between the two I'd choose Peter Collinson's original over F. Gary Gray's remake any day. To me, the writing of the original was just way, way better and the remake just didn't live up to its director's previous works like Friday and The Negotiator. The original film is just more interesting to me and I found the character developement in the remake especially lacking. Did you notice the huge dent in Charlie's Cooper during their resevoir "test drive"? That's because, during the editing process, when it looked like the first half of the film would loose the audience for lack of action, instead of going back and reshooting some footage with the actors in the remaining "hero cars" to put in there, Gray cut a sizable chunk of the climactic traffic jam chase and plunked it into the first half of the film. Shoddy editing if you ask me. Also, I've never, ever liked Marky Mark's work. Now it's not a generational thing, as I'm a bit younger than Walberg himself. Though, I do prefer the leg room in the cars of the remake. And I think they could have used all Cooper Ses, with three or four driving lights instead of two to better match the original film, to heck with California state law. And the aero kit doesn't seem to lend itself at all well to rough stunt driving. But my biggest gripe with the so-called Italian Job of 2003 is that an entire 5 minutes of the film takes place in ITALY. The name of the film isn't Californian Job, it's Italian Job. The orginal films great heist took place in ITALY, the greater part of the remake should have taken place in ITALY. E.T. was hunted by men with guns, Greedo DID NOT shoot first, and the Italian Job took place in Italy.

Back to the topic at hand, given the whole not-set-any-where-near-Italy status of this upcoming project, it would be really lame for the final title of the film to be Italian Job II. May as well call it Italian Job Episode II: Attack of the Balinese Dancers or some such thing. Yet dispite the somber tone of my post, I do have high hopes for this project to succeed. Charlize Theron is really, very hot, and Seth Green, Mos Def and Jason Statham are really tallented actors. And MINIs, MINIs are the coolest cars available on the US market! Who wouldn't want to see a film prominantly featuring them?

 

Opening scene of TIJ2:

Jason Statham (no longer a member of the Bridger gang - solo operator since The Transporter) is driving his large BMW M5 through the mountains of southern France on his honeymoon with his new bride (Liv Tyler). The bad guys appear in a new Cadillac CTS-V trying to force them off the road. Fifteen minutes of great action (think Goldfinger DB-5 v. Ford Mustang or just about any scene from Ronin). Scene ends with both cars going off the side of a cliff..... Flashback to scene 2

Ding...I pass the batan to the next writer.

 

who else besides me thinks that the entire reason for the remake was nothing more than a clever ploy to introduce the New MINI to the world.You'ld never convince me that this was nothing more than a 90 minute commercial,and get this.............people actually paid to watch it!Kudos to Krispen Porter Bogusky( the agency of record ) for a brilliant ad concept.

 

The production did have the feel of a TV comercial, you may be right there.

 

The original has many classic elements and Michael Caine's character was an absolute riot! I love some of his lines, like the one where he was getting his car after getting out of prison and he told the porter that he had been lion hunting over the past several years. He paid him with a large wad of bills and the porter said, "you must have killed a lot of lions." He came back with, "yes, I used a machine gun." My girlfriend doesn't think that is funny but it kills me. Benny Hill's character is also funny, "do they have LARGE women is Italy, I like them large - very, very large." The chase scenes are also a riot, like when they are on top of the old FIAT building and test track.

 

Who noticed what movie Edward Norton was watching on his big screen TV in the 2003 version of "The Italian Job".

 

It's BIG, he likes 'em BIG, but you're right that is really funny.

Alfie, another Cane film. Another thing that bugs me about thremake is that Norton did not want to be in it, and the studio forced him to do the film. You see he had signed a contract. He didn't like the project, didn't want to be involved in ti and I think it shows in his performance; which sucked.

 

A lot has been said for both movies. But if you are home theater enthusiast, the old one does not compare to the new (Dolby 5.1) version.

Of course, sound isn't everything, but it's pretty cool in the new one!

regards,
Red

 

F. Gary Gray, the director of the 2003 IJ, had said that he could not see doing that movie without the MINIs. Since the movie studio is looking for him again (and hopefully they will get him), I would think there would be MINIs in this sequel. He did such a great job with the drama surrounding the MINIs when they finally appeared in that movie. And the chase scenes were totally awesome!. That's why the movie was so popular and successful. I bet they have the MINI convertible in this one.

 

Lest we forget all the interesting characters too (in 2003 IJ). Everyone liked the characters which added even more to the overall enjoyment. I think they did a good job of character development (at least for the several main characters), by showing significant events in their past and present. I always enjoy a movie much much more with character development. Without it the movie flops IMO. Hopefully the next IJ will not neglect this important aspect and further continue this issue.

 

I don't think so, he'd still be in the Aston that he'd been fantasizing over during the first movie. And why would you step down from an Aston to an M5?

If you watch the commentary for the original movie, towards the end, while they mention that there were in fact plans at Paramount for a sequel. One plot that they had pretty well fleshed out had mafia helo's swooping in and looping cables around the dangling motorcoach and pulling it to safety.

Then they took the gold, and stranded Micheal Caine yet again in the Alps. Now Caine sets out to retake the gold and rescue his girlfriend who the mafia tailed to Switzerland and kidnapped...

 

I can't see a Miura without thinking of "On Days Like These." Great stuff. Both films are entertaining in their own rights - but you do have to view them in the context of the period in which they were made.