Apparently, badass Liam Neeson and French director Luc Besson will be sitting down at the end of the month to try and wrap their heads around a sequel to the $226 million-grossing, implausible daddy-action flick, “Taken.” We’re not really sure who’s clamoring for a sequel though other than the money-hungry studio, but generally that’s how it works (see: the “Three Men and a Baby,” or rather, “Three Men and a Little Lady” sequel). In a video for MTV, the interviewer presses for sequel information, and Neeson hints that the two men are still trying to crack that nut. He states that they will try to discover a “plot that will be believable.” But Liam, why start going for realism now?
Aside from giving a quote that is way too easy for writers to build quirky one liners out of, not much other information is stated. The key quote in the video is really “you might (see a “Taken” sequel),” so don’t get your heart set just yet. However it’s not a completely ludicrous idea, as the film made much more than expected, even if this writer just thought its box office success was more about folk not wanting to see a fat guy ride a segway in a mall (“Paul Blart: Mall Cop” if you’ve forgotten) rather than the film raking it in due to its quality. It’s certainly not a bad movie; a good popcorn flick for those afternoons when Ingmar Bergman is just not in the cards.
So where could this film possibly go? It could be a prequel, focusing on the character while in the military, though audiences aren’t likely to take to a back story film that contains typical military scenes. That’s not exactly why they went to see the first one. It could be a direct sequel and follow those that are on the lookout for him, seeing as he killed loads of people on his journey to regain his daughter. We also wouldn’t discredit the idea of finding a complete counter to Neeson’s character, finding someone just as smart and able to really up the ante. This is, of course, all speculation, and the ball’s in Neeson and Besson’s court as they bang their heads together and try to come up with another incredible scenario for this weary but tough single father.
Will original director Pierre Morel be returning? It’s not likely. The man seems to have his plate not just full, but overflowing with his upcoming “Dune” film. In February, Morel stated that “it’s challenging, it’s long-term” and that they were “only starting.” Creating the entire universe for a film isn’t exactly weekend homework, but maybe Morel could take some time off the strenuous work to have some fun directing Liam Neeson killing people in creative ways. Especially after directing a very ugly-looking John Travolta during the decent “From Paris with Love.” That couldn’t have been too fun. But “Dune” is massive, so if they do figure out how to credibly make a sequel storyline (doubtful, at least in terms of the credible part), expect them to find another director.