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Though it was not based on a well-known comic book character and didn't have a built-in audience of fans to draw upon, director Peter Berg's tale of an immortal warrior-turned-superhero (Will Smith) who has lost his way, Hancock, was a super-sized hit in 2008, earning more than $624 million worldwide, making it a bigger blockbuster than any of 2011's superhero movies — Green Lantern, Captain America: The First Avenger and X-Men: First Class and Thor all earned less — and earning it a spot in the Top 10 movies in the genre, alongside the likes of Spider-Man, Iron Man and The Dark Knight.
With numbers like that, you would think that we would have already seen a sequel by now. In fact, a pair of screenwriters was hired to pen Hancock 2 back in August 2009, and Berg confirmed the return of Smith and Charlize Theron one month later (Jason Bateman said that same month that he "cannot imagine" why he would be in the sequel). Since that time? Bupkis. Has the immortal superhero succumbed to development death? According to Berg in a recent interview with CBM, meetings about Hancock 2 were held as recently as last year and now it's "just a question of timing."
what did berg say? >> Posted 01.23.12 by BrentJS -
Hancock director Peter Berg has said that "everybody's going to come back for a sequel," but apparently that message never made its way to Jason Bateman. Bateman told Collider that he has "not been contacted" and doubts he will be a part of the proposed sequel.
I cannot imagine I'd be a part of that. [Will Smith and Charlize Theron are] both immortal, and so they can kind of live in any time period, and they don't age, but I do, so why would they include me? I don't know.
So despite a mention of Bateman's return in a recent Variety article about the Hancock sequel, Bateman reiterated that he is not involved.
I don't know where that writer gets their information from as I haven't been contacted, nor have my representatives.
The return of Smith and Theron still seems probable, and necessary since the sequel will focus on the home planet of the two immortals. Shield writers Adam Fierro and Glen Mazzara have been hired to pen the screenplay.
Posted 09.24.09 by Ryan -
"Everybody's going to come back for a sequel," said director Peter Berg in an interview with MTV about Hancock 2. Berg's confirmation validates what Charlize Theron said last September when she said she'd happily return to "ride the Will Smith train" if the rest of the key players returned too.
Both Smith and Theron's characters were revealed at the end of Hancock to be immortal gods who become vulnerable when near each other for any length of time. For the sequel, Berg said we can expect the appearance of at least one more all-powerful god. What's more, he's got his eye on a well-known actor to play the third superhero.
We have someone in mind. I'm not gonna tell you who, but we have!"
Given that Will and Charlize are about as big as stars come, this means that he's clearly got another A-lister in mind for the movie. What a tease!
Posted 09.10.09 by reelz -
When a movie makes $624 million dollars, as Hancock did, a sequel is guaranteed. Hancock 2 is taking shape, starting with the hiring of screenwriters Adam Fierro and Glen Mazzara. Both writers worked previously on FX's The Shield.
Plot details are being kept secret, but director Peter Berg, who will return for the sequel, gave some spoilers to SciFiWire. In Hancock, Will Smith is an immortal god whose invulnerability disappears when in the presence of his immortal goddess, Charlize Theron. Berg expects the sequel to introduce more immortals.
There might be another god out there. Might be another one.
Hancock took 12 years to make it to the big screen. Berg says the sequel will arrive faster, but won't be rushed.
They like to fast-track it, but Will's busy, I'm pretty busy. We're excited to do one, but we want the script to be right and the movie to be right. We don't feel a burning imperative to go right back into it.
In other words: Get it "right," Fierro and Mazzara, or more writers will be hired.
Posted 08.25.09 by Ryan -
Director Michael Mann's (Heat, Hancock) latest movie, Public Enemies, opens nationwide today. The movie, a period piece that was shot in many of the actual locations for events fictionalized in the movie, recounts the manhunt for notorious bank robber John Dillinger (played by Johnny Depp) by Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), Special Agent with the FBI.
Mann has credited the generous incentives offered by the state of Wisconsin at the time of filming as part of the reason behind his decision to film there for six weeks. According to a recent interview with Bale, working with Mann was one of his incentives for signing up for Public Enemies:
Michael Mann is one of the finest filmmakers around. His ability to excel at all aspects of filmmaking is stunning. I loved his thoroughness.
I loved the research and his attention to detail. This is a director who has a unique perception of what every actor is doing at all moments.
However, it wasn't just the chance to work with a four-time Academy Sward-nominated director that appealed to Bale; he liked the guns, as well:
It was the last dying breath of the guns that had some character to them. I know the guns we have nowadays are absolutely fatal and have incredible precision. But back in this era, you had the guns where you could smell the shots afterwards.
I have to say that I enjoyed carrying them around with me.
Posted 07.01.09 by BrentJS -
2008 was a big year for comic book movies. The biggest so far, in fact. With the help of Jim Littler, editor of ComicBookMovie.com, we've got the definitive Top 10 9 Comic Book Movies of 2008.
Posted 01.01.09 by reelz -
The election season may be over, but that hasn't stopped Will Smith from making a lot of bold promises. While out on the campaign trail this week to promote his upcoming Oscar-baiting drama Seven Pounds, Hollywood's top-earning actor set forth quite an ambitious agenda. Over the past few days, he:
Assured Collider that he has a "fantastic idea" for an I Am Legend prequel, involving the fall of Manhattan;
Promised JoBlo that we will "definitely" see a Hancock sequel in "a few years";
Hinted to Movieweb at the possibility of playing Barack Obama in a biopic, boasting that his ears make him a "lock" for the role; and
Bragged to Barbara Walters that there was "no question" he himself could get elected president, if he wanted to.
Next week, Smith reportedly plans to present his Comprehensive Unified Field Theory to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, at last bridging the gap between quantum physics and Einstein's Theory of Relativity.
Posted 12.05.08 by reelz -
The summer blockbuster Hancock, starring Will Smith as a slacker superhero with a public-relations problem, leads this week's crop of new DVD releases. Also debuting today on DVD: Eddie Murphy's ill-fated sci-fi comedy Meet Dave; Vince Vaughn's ill-fated Christmas comedy Fred Claus; and the computer-animated, simian, and yes, also ill-fated, sci-fi comedy Space Chimps.
And just in case you forgot to set your DVR last weekend, 24: Redemption arrives on DVD today -- just two days after it premiered on Fox. Pick it up and watch Jack Bauer singlehandedly save sub-Saharan Africa. Let's see Bono do that!
Posted 11.25.08 by reelz -
The critics are all over the map with Hancock, but the fans at the ArcLight Cinemas were more than willing to give us their first reactions.
Next week ReelzChannel's Fan*tastic Summer braves the heat with Hellboy II.
See the full summer movie schedule and watch all the trailers.
Posted 07.03.08 by reelz -
Poor Hancock. First, the pressures of saving the world for an ungrateful populace drive him to alcoholism, then his movie gets hit with a barrage of negative reviews (with the notable exception of our own resident contrarian Jeff Otto, who absolutely dug it). Some guys just can't buy a break.
Perhaps Hancock might take some solace in knowing that he's not alone in his dysfunction. Check out our new feature, Our Favorite Flawed Superheroes, for a look at other prominent comic book heroes who suffer from all-too-human afflictions.
Posted 07.02.08 by reelz