Portman talks "Leon 2"

[Daytripper]

Did a search on this first here and came up with nothing. So I hope this isn't a duplicate thead.

From Empireonline.co.uk

Portman Talks Leon 2
Long awaited sequel looking hopeful
23/12/2003

Fans of Luc Besson's Leon (and let's face it, who isn't?) can rejoice, for it looks as though the long pined-for sequel may actually be taking off. Talking to People magazine, Natalie Portman (who was knee-high to a grasshopper when she made her appearance opposite Jean Reno in the first film) revealed that the project is moving forward.

Asked what she would tackle upon completion of Episode III the actress said: "When Episode III finishes? I don't know. To tell you the truth, I'd like to just relax for a while. Kick back with some friends. If anything, it might be something with Luc Besson, a follow-up to a film I did when I was younger called Leon. The script's really great, and near worth delaying a vacation for. The only problem would be that I would have to hit the gym again - and at the moment I can't even envision tying my own laces up."

Leon (or The Professional if you live Stateside) was a masterful film exploring the role-reversal psychology of a precocious 12-year-old and a childlike hitman - plus it made killing people for money look extremely cool. Roll on the sequel.

[PixyJunket]

If Besson writes and directs, I will cry tears of joy.

Otherwise, the movie will not exsist to me.

(There is still a part of me that wouldn't like to see it period, but Besson would hopefully do it justice.)

[Daytripper]

I can't imagine Besson not directing this at the very least. But see you in line either way. Behind me of course. Because the line starts HERE ;)

[RocShemp]

I dunno.... I think Léon is a great movie but I feel that, at best, a sequel is a stupid idea and would cheepen the overall story. Unless the sequel is a totally different kind of story with no hitmen and drug dealers whatsoever. Meaning an effective dramma relating the later years in the life of Mathilda. But then, I don't see many fans of the first flocking to see that. So, as much as I love the first film and Natalie Portman, I hope a sequel never gets made.

[RyoHazuki]

I don't think this is a good idea.

[Samuel]

This could be good but the absence of Jean Reno and Gary Oldman will be hard to ignore.

[Jackskeleton]

So would this be matilda just being a cleaner all grown up...


I don't think it's a goo..... oh what the hell am I saying, I've watched every portman film released, Like I wouldn't watch this. sign me up

[Lara Means]

Natalie Portman as a badass hitman? I'm there! Maybe Danny Aiello will come back as Tony.

[Rivero]

Originally posted by Lara Means
Natalie Portman as a badass hitman? I'm there!

I'm not, at least not if that's how they would continue the story. That would be the expected, predictable way to go. Besson already did Nikita. Like rocShemp said, I'd see this if Besson were to go in a completely different direction. ie. an effective drama sans hitmen, drug dealers, gunfights and all that crap.

[Cardiac161]

....Jet Li may actually the part of the hitman this time. He has a great working relationship with Luc Besson (producing Kiss of the Dragon and the upcoming Danny the Dog) and has been reported to be in talks with him in doing a sequel to Leon.

[Sunday Morning]

Hope this doesn't happen.

Reno's character is [/spoiler]dead.[/spoiler] Inserting a new hitman mentor for matilda would be a little more than tacky.
Their relationship was the whole driving point of the original, and that's what made it so special.

[UAIOE]

What if Matilda was the mentor to another young hitman?

I dunno.....as much as i want Natalie Portman to do this to make up for the Star Wars movies i dont really want a retread of the first film.

[nightmaster]

Leon with NO Leon, ie no Jean Reno??? UGH.

[RaMMaR]

Originally posted by Daytripper
"... The only problem would be that I would have to hit the gym again - and at the moment I can't even envision tying my own laces up."
i'm not sure how i feel about a sequel to Léon - La Femme Mathilda? If it does get made, i'd be more than happy to help Natalie tie her laces. :D

[victant]

This has some good potential. Then again, many eventual movie flops started out as "good potential". As for me, I'm still hoping this'll see the light of day; at the worst, it'll still be a Portman flick! :up:

;)

[Corvin]

Originally posted by Rivero
I'm not, at least not if that's how they would continue the story. That would be the expected, predictable way to go. Besson already did Nikita. Like rocShemp said, I'd see this if Besson were to go in a completely different direction. ie. an effective drama sans hitmen, drug dealers, gunfights and all that crap.

If you're going to drop everything that made the original, why even bother with a sequel? What exactly are you looking for?

[tofu]

Hmmm . . . Nathalie Portman and guns. Sounds like a good movie to me. (But part of what made Leon so great for me was Gary Oldman and there's no way that they could bring his character back to life for this movie)

[Suprmallet]

Well, I'm looking forward to this one, or, at least, the idea of this one. Personally, I will be glad to be rid of Gary Oldman, just as long as they don't bring in someone else to chew the scenery.

That's right, I thought Oldman was far too over the top. When he pops those pills, I thought I would die laughing. Now, don't get me wrong, I think the movie is fantastic, I just think it could have been even better with a villain whose performance actually suggested that he was dangerous, and not comic.

I also generally love Gary Oldman, so perhaps Besson just wants him to overact. I don't know.

[abintra]

Oldman was my least favorite part of the film also (though not enough for me not to love it).

[droidguy1119]

I saw a thread here called "my idea for an Aliens sequel" and I am fairly bored and I wanted to put one of my oldest ideas out there.

It would need a lot of refining, but my idea for a sequel to Leon is very simple: another remake of La Femme Nikita. Obviously one can't just transplant the events of La Femme Nikita directly, but I think it could have been great: Mathilda has turned to a life of crime and it takes the help of Danny Aiello and some training to get her back on track with her professional assassin work. Then she meets some dude she likes and she tries to balance one life with another -- it wouldn't be a surprising movie but I think thematically it's very interesting.

The best part of this idea is that the character played by Reno in the original La Femme Nikita could be a dark shadow of Leon, as if everything that was good about him was twisted, a nightmare version of the guy she used to love.

Obviously this movie will never get made because Besson doesn't have any interest in making a sequel, but I think it's a great concept on paper. Too bad he wouldn't let anyone else have a crack at it either, because then you essentially have a story written by Besson because you're using one of his older works even if he doesn't write it himself.

[RyoHazuki]

I'm glad the bump didn't mean this thing got green lighted. Mathilda becoming a hit (wo)man makes the first movie kinda pointless.

[FinkPish]

If anything she should be living a normal life and be pulled into that world again. It wouldn't give her character much to do to redeem herself if she had gone down the wrong path and then be pulled further down it later.

[PopcornTreeCt]

She lived happily ever after.

No sequel.

[cardaway]

If Besson writes and directs, I will cry tears of joy.

Otherwise, the movie will not exsist to me.

(There is still a part of me that wouldn't like to see it period, but Besson would hopefully do it justice.)

Ditto. I would be very interested. IMO Portman needs to do another movie that isn't some kind of academy bait. A sexy action flick would be just the ticket.

[cardaway]

If anything she should be living a normal life and be pulled into that world again. It wouldn't give her character much to do to redeem herself if she had gone down the wrong path and then be pulled further down it later.

Agreed. My first thought would be that somebody offs her husband that the law can't touch and she decides to clean up the mess herself.

[nemein]

-ohbfrank- Some movies... actually many movies (and several that get them) DO NOT NEED SEQUELS. The movie is perfectly fine on it's own.

[cardaway]

-ohbfrank- Some movies... actually many movies (and several that get them) DO NOT NEED SEQUELS. The movie is perfectly fine on it's own.

No need to shout.

No movie ever needs a sequel. Movies could simply be longer to wrap everything up in one movie.

But given the current status quo I would rather good movies get sequels rather than much of the crap we see now.

[tsetse27]

No need for sequels.

No need for prequal neither.

I don't need every single details to explain where Leon came from...

[clappj]

No need for esquels.

No need for prequal neither.

Well said!

;)