The idea of a sequel to “The Fighter” is a cute thought. One has to assume high of the success off the picture (some seven odd years in the making) producer/actor Mark Wahlberg and director David O. Russell — who have worked together on three films so far, “Three Kings,” “I Heart Huckabees” and the aforementioned pugilist picture — were just shitcking ideas around in a celebratory fashion.
“‘The Fighter 2,’ woooo! We got two Oscars tonight!” But if Wahlberg is still just coasting off the fumes of ecstasy, one has to assume they’re pretty frickin’ strong.
Echoing sentiments he already voiced earlier this year, Wahlberg said during the Spike Guys Choice Awards (via ComingSoon), “We left out the Aturo Gatti fights for a reason,” Wahlberg announced, after the picture won the “Guy Movie of the Year.” “Because that’s for ‘Fighter 2’. We’re not going to do ‘Fighter’ 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, but we’re gonna do 2. We’re gonna do the Ward/Gatti trilogy.”
What, no eight installment franchise? What a relief. Ok, he was at another event and getting accolades so perhaps these further plaudits are fueling a punch drunk enthusiam, but you gotta hand it to the dude, he sounds pretty damn insistent.
Will it actually happen? Well, Wahlberg and O. Russell are teaming up again. They had one collabo in the works, the video game adaptation “Drake’s Uncharted” that the director bailed on and then traded in for another, the more-in-his-wheelhouse, “The Silver Linings Playbook” (also with Wahlberg) which if you believe the early rumors may, may, possibly co-star Angelina Jolie.
“The Fighter was nominated for six Academy Awards and won two (Christian Bale and Melissa Leo for Supporting Actors). O. Russell was nominated for the Directors Guild of America prize (and a Best Directing Oscar) and Bale and Leo both took home Screen Actors Guild awards. Not too shabby, though if they are going to make a sequel, it’s going to be none too easy to put that stellar cast back together. We wouldn’t be surprised if Wahlberg soldiered on and O. Russell — much of a chameleon with his directing projects — took on a producing role instead.
