Source: Deadline
(Found via JoBlo)
Fantastic. Ironically enough, I was just talking about the original Eastern Promises with a friend a few days ago, and we were both geeking out over the possibility of more stories with Viggo's Russian heavy, Nikolai. Well, if this news piece is correct, a sequel will go before cameras this winter with most of the creative team returning! [more thoughts after the jump]
If you haven't seen Eastern Promises yet, make sure you Netflix it or catch it on TV. I can't recommend it enough--it not only boasts Viggo Mortensen's (yay, Aragorn!) Oscar-nominated performance (the first of many, I'm sure), but it's an intelligent, moody, and highly watchable drama from the crazy/inventive mind of director David Cronenberg (who last teamed with Viggo on A History of Violence). I can't quite call it a thriller, as it was advertised, but it has all the intrigue and secrets and slow-build surprises you could expect from a film centered on the seedy side of the London underground. Naomi Watts is lovely (as always) in a supporting part, but it's Mortensen who owns the film as Nikolai, a mob "driver" harboring some secrets of his own. I might be a bit biased, since I watched Viggo defend Helm's Deep more times than I care to share, but it's a stunning, layered turn, and it's probably the most believable Russian I've seen on screen from an American actor.
I can't say much else without going into spoiler territory, but suffice to say that the ending left quite a lot of story possibilities open. And it's especially reassuring to see that (as of now) director Cronenberg, original screenwriter Steve Knight, and, of course, Mortensen are all set to come back and finish the arc they started. Maybe there's a way to bring back Naomi Watts as well? We'll have to see.
What do you guys think? Have you seen Eastern Promises? And, if so, would you be interested to see the full journey of these characters? Here's the trailer, in case you're interested:
As for me, these are the kind of sequels I'm most delighted to hear about. Not gigantic cash-cows that chug along at the expense of coherence (cough*Transformers*cough), but small films that could really use the extra time to tell a complete story.
Very exciting news. I'll report on more as soon as I hear about it!
Image courtesy of Focus Features.
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