After seeing The Host last year, I walked out of the theater with a big smile on my face. It was the first time in a very long time that I saw a monster movie that not only lived up to its hype but surpassed it. It was nice to see there were still filmmakers out there that had a love for old B-movie concepts but were able to bring a new angle to the table. So, needless to say, when I read the story in today’s Variety stating there was going to be a sequel I jumped for joy.
Korean production entity Chungeorahm and China’s Stone Man Films will co-produce the pic, but the original’s co-writer and director Bong Joon-ho will not be returning; China’s Ning Hao (Crazy Stone) is writing and directing this time around.
No idea if Hao’s a great choice or not because I haven’t seen any of his films, but if someone’s willing to let him take control of what is now a franchise, I’m willing to give him a day in court.
It will be tricky, though, pulling off a film that will have political undertones in China considering the current world climate. The story will apparently revolve around a catastrophe that occurs when people ignore the monster because of their lust for money and power.
Hmm. Sounds more like a documentary instead of a monster movie, huh?
The Host focused heavily on environmental concerns and was deemed by some as antagonistic toward American military. The American military situated in South Korea were portrayed as somewhat unfeeling and cavalier about the effects their activities had on the local populace. And, let’s face it, Agent Yellow was a weakly veiled reference to Agent Orange. Should be interesting to see what happens in round two.
Shooting is scheduled to begin in early 2009, with a planned release in the latter part of the year.