It looks like time is running out for Johnny Blaze, as Columbia is under the gun to get cracking on a new Ghost Rider film — or otherwise lose the rights entirely.
Vulture has a nice post up about what’s happening on the Nick Cage vehicle (a-heh, see what I did there?), saying that while Cage is willing to do a sequel, he might be already booked for the third National Treasure franchise. Considering the well-known comic fan is also having some major financial trouble, he’s got to get the most bang for his buck.
Might this mean that Columbia will have to get another actor to play the Spirit of Vengeance? Vulture says that’d be a bad, bad move:
But would the film work without Cage? One unconnected producer who’s worked in the comic-book genre gave Vulture an emphatic no, pointing out that the Ghost Rider character isn’t particularly well-known; any familiarity with it comes from associating the face of Cage — a worldwide box-office draw — with the title. Compare that to Iron Man 2, for which billboards all over the nation show nary a glimpse of star Robert Downey Jr. You don’t need the star to sell that movie, you just need the suit.
Yet all’s not lost on the Ghost Rider front — apparently Scott Gimple and Seth Hoffman of Flashforward have written a Ghost Rider 2 script, and the studio is shopping that script around for a new director. What say you, Rama readers? You think Columbia needs to quit idling on this movie? Or does Johnny Blaze need an overhaul that only his new Disney parent company can provide?
April 26th, 2010 at 11:35 am
Just lose the rights and have Marvel Studios/Paramount get a real movie going.
April 26th, 2010 at 11:42 am
This is full of possibilites. Why not have part 2 be the origin of Dan Ketch? That way Cage is still Blaze. Maybe even have a cameo with Cage for a brief scene and then a team-up in part 3 since Cage is willing. Ketch is my fave Ghost Rider anyway. He is from my Golden Age in the 90′s…or was that my Silver Age?
April 26th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
I think Ghost Rider as a concept doesn’t translate to a movie. Heck, it barely works as a comic book. It should be a weird movie with creatures and demons, more along the lines of Hellboy. Or a completely reinvented concept that uses little more than the name “ghost rider”.
Ghost Rider with Nick Cage is what happens when you try to put a concept as ridiculous as a flaming headed motor cycle enthusiast in a real world. You get a heavy goth chick saying how cool he is on the evening news, which in turn makes the audience question if he actually is. It could work better as a loose adaptation of Ennis’ most recent miniseries where he must escape hell.
I would like to see more of a Bat Lash-esque old west Ghost Rider adventure.
April 26th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
I’ve never gotten the whole “he’s not well known enough” argument. As much as I hate to say it, unless the property begins with X, Bat or Super, most of the viewing audience isn’t going to know that these are based on comic book properties (or at least haven’t read them). Most people won’t realize that either The Losers, Jonah Hex or Scott Pilgrim are originally comic book characters. Even that knowledge probably won’t enhance or detract from the enjoyment of the movies.
And really, who cares, if the final film is good? Blade hasn’t been able to headline a title for more than 12 issues since the 70s, and he had at least two absolutely monster hits.
I’ve never read the original Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider series, but I think the first two years or so of the Danny Ketch Ghost Rider series, where you slowly discover who Ghost Rider is and see Danny’s personal quest for vengeance (before the series got all bogged down in its own mythology), would make for an awesome movie.
April 26th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
It was a mistake to cast Cage in the first place.
April 27th, 2010 at 6:08 am
I don’t get how the Ironman suit sells the movie but the guy with the flaming skull on the motorcycle doesn’t.
The first one did okay money wise. If they invest a little bit more money, and get a better director I think they could make an awesome movie.
May 2nd, 2010 at 9:37 am
I like the idea of a Dan Ketch Movie