A sequelto the 2005 DC outing,Constantine, is finally happening…but it has left Satan actor Peter Stormare feeling nervous. Speaking withScreenRant, the actor explained why he has concerns about Constantine 2, with the actor feeling that they may have left it too long to return to the paranormal world watched over by Keanu Reeves’ John Constantine. Revealing that discussion of a follow-up first began way back when, Stormareconfirmed that it is he who has been floating the idea for the last few years.
“It was me, but it’s been in the talks back and forth. It was in the talks after the first one, like a year after, because even then the DVD sold pretty good, and social media started to come around, and Constantine was always something that people did love. The people with some cineastic eye find it very iconic, and they talked about [making Constantine 2] two years after, then four years after, and then six years after.”
Stormare continued, addingthat it was the words of Keanu Reeves that finally got things movingonConstantine 2, revealing that Reeves wants to keep “the same formula” as the first outing. But will the studio agree?
“But also, the studios are strange out here, because they want the “boom, crash, bang” and to do a sequel to Constantine, I’m sure there’s going to be a million times more of the special effects and all that. I think Keanu, we have talked, he said, “I want to keep it like the first one. Simple, contain and based on characters, not on special effects, and if we can get that, then I’m not in it.” You know, with John Wick and Matrix — you saw Matrix, it’s hard — but John Wick is because he does it all the time, it has its momentum. He’s in it, Chad, the director’s, in it, they know. But if you wait 10 years, it’s hard to reignite and get the same fire going on, and the formula.”
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Peter Stormare Does Not Want Constantine 2 to Become the New Godfather Part III
Comparing the return ofConstantineto that of another Keanu Reeves movie,The Matrix Resurrections,Peter Stormarefeels that it might be difficult to “get into the same category” as the 2005 effort.
“That’s the problem of doing Constantine 2, this might be too late. It might be too late, I don’t know. It’s nice if Keanu can have a say and say, “I’m in or out.” But if Francis Lawrence is in as a director, and the writer writes it as the first one, with some other choices, with some new twists and tweaks, it might be good, but I think if we just do it like “boom, crash bang,” it won’t work. No one wants to see it.”
Ultimately, Stormare’s concerns revolve around bringing the DC hero back after so much time has passed because, as we can all agree, he does not wantConstantine 2to become another lesser sequel, likening the possible failings toThe Godfather Part III.
“The Godfather Part III is a great example. I don’t know anybody who loves The Godfather Part III. [Laughs] I think if it’s too long of a time, things are gonna screw it up, because it’s out there in the world and, as is the old Viking saying, you have to strike while the iron is hot. That’s an old Viking saying we took to this country.”
