![]() ![]() ![]() Marvel Studios, in particular, has become known for successfully implementing this approach with such films as Guardians of the Galaxy (Gunn, 2014), Thor: Ragnarok (Waititi, 2017) and Black Panther (Coogler, 2018). The studio surrounds these filmmakers with a crew that can guide them through their new challenges, and they can deliver a stylistically different blockbuster. The logic is that these filmmakers may lack experience with certain aspects of blockbuster filmmaking (such as directing action or working with visual effects) but they will infuse a potentially generic blockbuster with their own strengths (such as strong writing, character work, unique visual approach, or quirky sense of humour) to bring freshness to the genre. Most importantly, however, was the announcement of the directors.Ī trend has emerged in Hollywood, over the past decade or so, of studios hiring successful independent or dramatic filmmakers with unique styles to direct major blockbusters. The film was officially announced in July 2010, over three years after the release of the first film, and Cage was confirmed to be returning. He set the film eight years later, with Johnny Blaze hiding out in eastern Europe, allowing the character to be in a darker, more existential emotional place than in the first film. Although there are no direct connections to the first Ghost Rider film, and the character’s origin was mildly tweaked, Goyer views Spirit of Vengeance as a follow-up. Goyer includes secret religious orders and European backdrops, which were popular in the Brown novels. Goyer wrote a different screenplay for Spirit of Vengeance, partially inspired by the success of Dan Brown novels such as The Da Vinci Code (2003). So please stop saying that superhero films or horror films will magically be better with an R-rating. I believe that Deadpool (Miller, 2016) and Logan (Mangold, 2017) would have been excellent films if they had been rated PG-13 because they were solid films at their core. If a film is lacking a strong central plot, characters, theme (the basics of good storytelling), adding more gore and nudity may distract from the shortcomings, but it will not fix them. The fact that it was rated PG-13 has emerged as the main excuse for people involved with Spirit of Vengeance to explain its failure.įor the record, an R-rating, meaning potentially more profanity, violence, sexuality or drug use, does not automatically make a film better. ![]() But that film would have been R-rated and Sony Pictures, the studio behind both Ghost Rider films, was not willing to make an R-rated superhero film. ![]() Back in 2000, Goyer wrote a Ghost Rider script that everyone seems to agree was fantastic. Goyer, who had previously worked on the Blade trilogy for Marvel before moving over to the Dark Knight trilogy for Warner Bros., to write the first version of the script. Cage was, indeed, willing to return, but he requested the tone be darker than the bland first film. The best thing that I can say about this sequel is that the filmmakers tried something different, stylistically. And so, although it took a longer-than-usual five years, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (Neveldine/Taylor, 2012) was produced. Nicholas Cage was still a huge star, and was willing to return to the series. Ultimately, I think the reason is that comic book films had become the biggest genre in Hollywood, and the Ghost Rider property had some name recognition. The producers could have walked back that claim in light of a seeming lack of interest for another film. Sure, shortly before the release of Ghost Rider, producer Avi Arad had announced that they were making plans for a sequel, but that’s standard for superhero films. Since its release, the fifth ongoing Ghost Rider series was cancelled with Ghost Rider Vol. The first film, starring Nicholas Cage as Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider, was moderately successful, but was not particularly well-liked by critics or audiences. Why make a sequel to Ghost Rider (Johnston, 2007)? The property had only been fitfully popular over its nearly 40-year history, and never had same the staying power as most of Marvel’s stable of characters. ![]()
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