Gekko returning

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When I first heard a few weeks ago about screenwriter Stephen Schiff writing a Wall Street 2 movie, I wrote him with some questions. I said there's a competitive element afoot with Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio cooking up a rise-and-fall-of-a-Wall Street-hustler story -- an adaptation of Jordan Belfort's upcoming tell-all autobiography "The Wolf of Wall Street." And I was wondering if Schiff's piece was going to be something different or familiar.

The familiar would be another tale about a twentysomething money-hungry guy (a) gaining entry to the world of high finance, (b) learning the ropes, making big bucks and getting a little drunk on the juice of it all, and (c) eventually going too far, getting busted and crashing into a hole of shame and disrepute.

Schiff, ill and on a writing deadline, asked if we could talk later, and I said sure. And then yesterday along came a piece about the film by N.Y. Times guy Michael Ciepley, using producer Ed Pressman and actor Michael Douglas as the on-the-record sources. Schiff's script is called Money Never Sleeps and will be, according to Ciepley's story, about a "restyled" Gordon Gekko, to be played again by Douglas.

Gekko's character arc won't be emphasizing "moral development." He'll be the villain of the piece, in other words. There was no mention of a good-guy character, if in fact the film intends to use one.

Best quote: Douglas telling Ceipley said he wouldnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t mind if he never had "one more drunken Wall Street broker come up to me and say, 'YouÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re the man!'"

I have no idea whether or not Money Never Sleeps has a good or poor chance of coming out before the Scorsese-DiCaprio film (Schiff will deliver the script "later this year"), but they should probably get the lead out just to be on the safe side.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on May 5, 2007 at 6:37 AM

comment #1

AH says ...

The thing to remember here is that Wall Street wasn't a major box office success when it came out, Douglas isn't as big as he was then, and the environment is even worse now for adult dramas. So, unless they make it for a tight budget and make it really good, no one's gonna see it in the theaters.

Posted by AH at May 5, 2007 11:01 AM

comment #2

Teh Awesome says ...

I disagree with AH. I think a lot of interest and enthusiasm could be generated if the producers play their cards well. If they don't center the whole movie on Gekko, but surround him with "fresh" actors and actresses, Douglas' non-bigness will be a non-factor. Bring in Ryan Gosling.

Posted by Teh Awesome at May 5, 2007 11:11 AM

comment #3

Larry says ...

I understand you need conflict to make a story, but must every film set in the world of high finance be about crooks?

Posted by Larry at May 5, 2007 11:16 AM

comment #4

christian says ...

WALL STREET was a success. it was talked about in the media and rush limbaugh inveighed against it by saying that greed indeed was good. and douglas got an academy award. i don't care for the film as it's obvious as a 3 dollar bill, but...

Posted by christian at May 5, 2007 11:24 AM

comment #5

OddDuck says ...

I had presumed that Wall Street was a huge hit because it's always had sort of an outsized presence in my memories of that decade. I'm willing to bet a lot of people feel that way, which will help any sequel a lot. That said, I too think the movie should NOT center around Gekko, if for no other reason than Michael Douglas's overly-botoxed and nip/tucked face -- he's really ruined it.

Posted by OddDuck at May 5, 2007 11:27 AM

comment #6

D.Z. says ...

A Wall Street 2 should have war profiteering as its subtitle to be current.

Posted by D.Z. at May 5, 2007 11:29 AM

comment #7

Craig Kennedy says ...

Hit or not, Wall Street had its cultural moment. Everyone knows the line "Greed is good."

Posted by Craig Kennedy at May 5, 2007 12:16 PM

comment #8

vansmith says ...

i cant believe jordan belfort is coming clean he is the Boiler Room king, stratton was a cult, his movie will be worth seeing. Wall St 2 with douglas, pass...

Posted by vansmith at May 5, 2007 12:19 PM

comment #9

Scott Feinberg says ...

Jeff, DrudgeReport is referring to this story... you may want to push him to use your link, since traffic goes crazy when he does so...

Posted by Scott Feinberg at May 5, 2007 12:25 PM

comment #10

jeffmcm says ...

Wall Street grossed $44m in 1987-88. That's a hit, not a mega-hit but a success nonetheless.

DZ: Stop it.

Posted by jeffmcm at May 5, 2007 1:25 PM

comment #11

christian says ...

i like the idea of war profiteering stockbrokers as a subjeect. it happens.

Posted by christian at May 5, 2007 5:57 PM

comment #12

jeffmcm says ...

War profiteers deserve their own movie, not a sure-to-flop sequel to a movie from 20 years ago.

Posted by jeffmcm at May 5, 2007 6:18 PM

comment #13

Me says ...

Maybe it's because I used to live with a guy who is a financial advisor/stock broker type salesman, but three movies get referenced by him and his work friends all the time: Glen Gary Glenross, Boiler Room, and Wall St. They eat them up. I imagine there's always going to be an audience for these movies as long as they keep having the great quotable lines that guys like that love.

Posted by Me at May 5, 2007 9:24 PM

comment #14

jeffmcm says ...

By 'guys like these' you mean emotionally retarded greedy assholes?

Posted by jeffmcm at May 6, 2007 2:35 AM

comment #15

pdinalis says ...

No Jeff. He means financial advisor and/or stock broker. Jeez I'm with you on most posts but you can't dismiss a whole profession like that.

Posted by pdinalis at May 6, 2007 7:06 AM

comment #16

TKC says ...

Has there ever been a great dramatic sequel that was made more than, say, a decade after the original? I'm serious -- I'm racking my brain, and the closest I can come is "The Color of Money". But aside from that, you've got "Texasville", "The Evening Star", "Godfather III"....

Posted by TKC at May 6, 2007 9:00 AM

comment #17

christian says ...

of course, the irony is asshole stockbrokers look to gekko as an idol. and i recall some awful kidnapper rapist killer used gekko as his role model. i don't need to see this character again.

Posted by christian at May 6, 2007 11:32 AM

comment #18