Posted on 11/18/2013 3:06:59 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Star Partners and Hummingbird Prods. are collaborating on production of a sequel to Frank Capra’s iconic 1946 movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which starred Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.
The sequel, titled Its A Wonderful Life: The Rest of the Story, is being financed by Allen J. Schwalb of Star Partners who will also produce along with Bob Farnsworth of Hummingbird. The duo are aiming to get the movie into theaters for the 2015 holiday season.
Karolyn Grimes, who played George Bailey’s daughter “Zuzu” in the original, will return for the “Wonderful Life” sequel as an angel who shows Baileys unlikeable grandson (also named George Bailey) how much better off the world would have been had he never been born.
Grimes, of course, bellowed the iconic line, “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings!” in the original movie, about a troubled family man (Stewart) whose near-suicide on Christmas Eve brings on the intervention of his guardian angel.
Farnsworth and Martha Bolton have written the screenplay.
“The storyline of the new film retains the spirit of the original every life is important as long as you have friends, Farnsworth said.
No casting decision for the lead role of Bailey’s grandson will be made until February but producers have also begun discussions with original cast members Jimmy Hawkins, who portrayed Tommy Bailey, and Carol Coombs,who played Janie Bailey, to reprise their roles as well.
The producers are interviewing potential directors and plan to shoot the majority of the film in Louisiana. The sequel will have a budget in the $25 million to $35 million range./p>
“The new film will retain the feeling of the original, and it simply must be shared,” Grimes said. “Ive probably read close to 20 scripts over the years suggesting a sequel to Its a Wonderful Life, but none of them were any good. The script by Bob Farnsworth and Martha Bolton was wonderful, and I wanted to be involved with his version of the film immediately.”
Star Partners is the managing member of the slate portfolio Star Partners 8 LLC, a $100 million offering. Previously Star Partners funded seven slates of films, dating back to the 1980s including The Right Stuff, The Killing Fields, The Color Purple, The Mission, Moonstruck, and Rain Man.
“It’s a Wonderful Life” was nominated for five Oscars including Best Picture but lost out to “The Best Years of Our Lives.”
Lets see... at least one of the characters will now be gay. Mr. Potter will be a prominent member of the Tea Party. George’s brother will have made his fortune on solar panels or some other green nonsense. No thanks. I’ll pass.
The Savings and Loan will get bailed out by the Fed and the teacher will sue for being bullied via phone.
Or George will run an abortion clinic and the angels want to help him kill more babies, but the evil Sarah Palin is trying to stop him.
Zuzu becomes a pole dancer at a local gin joint and pulls trains on the side. George Bailey was murdered at the Savings and Loan by a crazed negro killer.
Uncle Billy was hanged by a gang of Black Panthers when he asked to see their photo ID at the voting booth.
Democrats took over the town and Mr. Potter’s nephew is now the mayor of the now sleazy town.
Yes. Bedford Falls has matured to Satan’s satisfaction.
Barry Obama is still in the White Hut directing the police state.
This can’t turn out well. Some things should be left alone.
Exactly right.
They made a sequel to a Christmas story a few years back. It bombed. Leave my classics alone.
This sounds like satire or a hoax.
How can they make a remake. Most of the cast is deceased.
They’re not making a remake. They’re making a SEQUEL. Read the article.
This is crazy.
So... his straight as an arrow son is shown the error of his ways and he becomes a gay hooker at the end and gets his wings?
It’s about a movie that didn’t succeed much at the box office, was neglected by the studio and allowed to lapse into the public domain, whereby it then received continuous airing for decades when “the holiday” rolled around, ultimately to have its copyright RESTORED retroactively by the stroke of a pen “for the benefit of the creators” like the long dead director who’d made the film ages ago.
Gee, glad they didn't pull a storyline like this for the series finale of "Dallas" or anything like that. Oh, wait....
Ummm NO.... sorry this sounds like a heaping pile of steaming dog poop.
And it will prove the notion that sequels SUCK
It’s doable if they intertwine it with Mayberry, 2014.
Andy is in bed with the cartels.
Barney is like Fredo on Godfather.
Opie is transgendered and confused.
Goober is a meth head working for Andy.
Gomer is selling stolen Marine weaponry to the cartels.
Aunt Bea runs the local bordello.
Floyd is a NAMBLA activist.
Ms.Crum is a NEA and PETA activist
Howard is a perv.
Otis is still drunk.
The Darlings are a hip hop twerkers.
Case in point: the 1983 TV remake of Casablanca, starring David Soul as Rick Blaine.
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