For more than a decade, we’ve heard rumors and reports about a direct sequel to David Cronenberg’s Oscar-nominated 2007 film, “Eastern Promises.” It was going to happen, a script was written, then it was shelved. Then years later, it would come back, seemingly getting close to production, then fall apart again. Rinse, repeat. Now, more than 15 years after the release of the original film, actor Vincent Cassel is here to say that the Cronenberg-helmed sequel to “Eastern Promises” isn’t ever going to happen.
Speaking to The Independent, Vincent Cassel, who has starred in a number of David Cronenberg films, gave the fateful update about the long-in-development “Eastern Promises” sequel. That is to say, he put the final nail in the coffin.
“[Cronenberg] had a wonderful script,” Cassel said. “We were ready to do it and I don’t know why it collapsed. Now I don’t think it will happen anymore.”
Now, it’s important to understand what Cassel means when he talks about the “Eastern Promises” sequel. The project he’s referring to is the direct sequel which would have been helmed by Cronenberg and saw the return of Viggo Mortensen. This is a film that has been discussed since the first film was released all those years ago. Rumors abound that this film might tell the story of the Russian mobster (Mortensen) returning to his home country and what that might look like.
However, the world of “Eastern Promises” still has one project seemingly in development. Back in the end of 2020, it was revealed that screenwriter Steven Knight was writing a new script in the “Eastern Promises” universe, which would focus on another character, played by Jason Statham. This wouldn’t be a direct sequel to the original film, but it would serve as a bit of a spinoff sequel. There haven’t been any reports about the status of this project since it was announced a little more than two years ago.
That said, Cassel is still collaborating with Cronenberg on a new project. The duo is set to reteam for the upcoming film, “The Shrouds.” This was originally developed as a Netflix series but has since transitioned into a feature film. Production is expected to begin later this year.