UPDATE: Twentieth Century Fox execs on Wednesday clarified a few of my details about Wall Street 2. Javier Bardem is not onboard yet, but “he is who we want” to play the stock-shorting hedge fund manager set up in the story as the villain. Oliver Stone hasn’t met with him yet, and the studio hasn’t negotiated his deal yet. The start date is now at the end of August, not August 10th. And, as of right now, there is no release date although my sources said February 2010 is contemplated. Otherwise, spot on.
EXCLUSIVE: I’m told that screenwriter Allan Loeb (21, Things We Lost In The Fire) will hand in his second draft of the long-awaited Wall Street 2 to 20th Century Fox later this week. (Although the great Stanley Weiser and his film school pal Oliver Stone were credited as writers of the original pic, Stephen Schiff was first to script the sequel.) I heard Loeb’s first draft was “so great” that Stone didn’t feel the need to touch it — yet. But no one expects the director to keep hands off on the second draft since principal photography starts on August 10th. The film’s release is now planned for February 2010. So here’s the oh-so-secret plot of Wall Street 2 and who’s playing what:
Michael Douglas, as everyone already knows, reprises his Best Actor Oscar-winning role as Gordon Gekko. But what hasn’t been reported is that, as the movie begins, it’s 21 years later and Mr. Greed Is Good has finished serving his prison sentence. He finds himself on the fringe of the financial community. (“Kinda like Jim Cramer or Mike Milken after their disgrace,” an insider with the pic tells me.) Gekko is cautioning Wall Street that the “end is coming” — but nobody is listening. So Gordon is obsessed with trying to repair his ruptured relationship with his daughter. That juicy actress role isn’t cast yet. (But I’d love it if Oliver had the balls to bring back Sean Young as Mom in spite of their notorious falling out during the filming of the original.)
Enter Shia LaBeouf, who was reported in negotiations and I can now state is set to co-star. (I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: one day every Hollywood movie will star this guy who turns 23 on June 11th.) Shia is a young Wall Street trader who’s engaged to be married to Gekko’s estranged daughter. Shia wants to be a major player, but his mentor unexpectedly kills himself, and Shia thinks a stock-shorting worldwide hedge fund manager is responsible. Shia seeks revenge on this villain, to be played by No Country For Old Men Supporting Actor Oscar-winner Javier Bardem. So Shia goes to Gordon saying, “I need your help”, and makes a Faustian deal with Gekko who in return wants Shia’s help getting back with the daughter. From then on, it’s “antagonism” for everyone, my insider says.
I’m told Wall Street 2‘s story spans from June 2008 through the federal bailout. “We wanted to see some perspective in the same way that the original dealt with insider trading,” a source explains to me. Meanwhile, a long list of Wall Street types are offering their help to make sure the script is accurate. Same thing happened with the original. Jeff “Mad Dog” Beck, then a star investment banker at ill-fated Drexel Burnham Lambert before he was exposed as a fraud, was one of the film’s technical advisers and even had a cameo appearance. But Kenneth Lipper, investment banker and former deputy mayor of New York for Finance and Economic Development, did the real heavy lifting: he was hired as chief technical adviser and ensured the film was realistic. Weiser and Stone consulted dozens of Wall Street names for the film.
Finally, an interesting aside: someone associated with the sequel reminded me that Barry Diller, the mogul in charge of 20th Century Fox when Wall Street came out, “hated it” and thought his big award-winning film that year would be Broadcast News, which came to the Oscars with 7 nominations but left empty handed. Whereas Wall Street won a major category. Now comes the sequel, and the news biz is still struggling, but so is the stock market.






That story sounds HORRIBLE. Gordon Geko has a daughter? And he cares about her? Really? And Shia LaBeouf? Its an insult to mention him in the same sentence as Douglas and Bardam, much less put him on the same screen with them.
“Wall Street” was one of the greatest movies of the 20th century; why tarnish that legacy? If Stone wants to do another movie about avarice in the financial industry, then write a new story with new characters, not a sequel. Clearly this movie will feature bankruptcy, but unfortunately it will be of the artistic variety.
Shia LaBeouf is probably the most uncharismatic young actor currently working. He should be playing the dork sidekick roles not the leading
man roles. I hope he’s not in this film and that people will wake up and
realize that he has no complexity or interesting layers – just a smart-alecky demeanor that works in some movies (i.e. Holes) but not in more
serious roles. Javier Bardem and Michael Douglas will blow him off the
screen – he will feel like an office boy…
Booooorrriiiiing!
$15 million opening weekend, and then oblivion.
Man… I’ll reserve judgement until I’ve seen the movie, but that plot sounds pretty bad, and THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE was not well written at all. I don’t have high hopes for this one. I mean, c’mon – Gordon Gekko grows a heart?
The day every Hollywood film stars Shia LaDouche will be the day I stop watching movies.
I only have two concerns about this sequel. One its being made under Tom Rothman’s regime. He’ll demand cuts, a PG-13 rating, shorter running time, change sets, and dumb down the financial lingo so it won’t go over the heads o the 13-25 year old demographic. Two, the speed of the production. I don’ know if Oliver Stone wants it this way or what, but I know his W. was hampered by an accelerated post production schedule. In the end it felt half baked.
Let’s hope for the best, miracles do happen.
Why isn’t Charlie Sheen in it he also went to prison bring back Charlie he was great. Surely there’s a way to put him in this.
Wall Street 2 fails tremendously — especially if they’re considering Shia for a role besides the boy who hands Gekko a bagel. God I hate how hollywood has no idea when to stop. Although I’m sure it’ll be a box-office beast, the quality I’m sure will be horrible.
Forget Sean Young. Stone really should bring back Charlie Sheen for a cameo. Where would his character be now?
I would love to know if Gekko still believes that “greed is good; greed works” given his status and the status of our economy.
Forgive me my internet laziness. I haven’t even gone to Wikipedia. But can someone tell me what Jim Cramer’s “disgrace” was?
I know about the bad advice he’s offered on television, was rendered meek by Jon Stewart, and I know he used to operate a hedge fund (or something). But I don’t recall him ever being in trouble with the law, or falling from grace. So why the comparison to Milkin?
Sheen should play Shia’s murdered mentor.
While Wall Street is a great film – even though it sometimes suffers the de rigueur Stone touches – Broadcast News is the better film. I could see why Diller would stand behind it.
I remember hearing some of these story bits around the time when they were trying to secure Douglas. Sounded okay but nothing exceptional. It still doesn’t read that well from the scant descriptions available. I’d hope it’s better on the script page.
The sad thing is, you imagine that Shia got cast to make the budget – not because he was a good choice. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, well, then you’d think there might be a movie in this worth buying a ticket to – a script people would back even with an edgy cast. With Shia, it’s just now-hacky Oliver Stone flailing around, trying to use his name to stunt-cast his way to another mediocre release. “W.” – except for Brolin’s very interesting performance – was weak sauce. “World Trade Center” was a Hallmark Channel movie. “Alexander” was one step from Uwe Boll. Guys like Shia are still green enough to think They’re Working With Oliver Stone.
Alboone: “Two, the speed of the production. I don’ know if Oliver Stone wants it this way or what, but I know his W. was hampered by an accelerated post production schedule. In the end it felt half baked.”
Stone’s pretty much be doing that his whole career:
* The first “Wall Street” was filmed in the spring of ’87 and released in December of the same year.
* JFK was filmed in the spring-summer of ’91 and released that Christmas.
*As was Nixon filmed in the spring and then released on Christmas ’95.
Notable exceptions would be NBK (took a year to edit) and The Doors (filmed in ’90, released in ’91).
But Stone’s always been known for his quick and frenetic shoots.
I’m so surprised that a writer like Oliver Stone can’t see through the hack that is Allan Loeb. Things We Lost in the Fire? The Last Living Boy in New York? Overrated trash. He belongs writing 21, but how about getting a real writer for this?
Same goes for Shia. Guess Stone’s got Scorsese’s problem: either can’t get the financing without these flavors of the month or can’t see past their powerful agents and lack of talent. Oy…
They should turn Gekko into Bernie Madoff. Fresh out of prison he gets back in the game and starts his own hedge fund which turns out to be a pyramid scheme. People hate Madoff…that would have been more timely.
Please can’t Hollywood come up with anything new? I think the dummies who run Hollywood are so frightened on trying anything new because their followers, not leaders. This is playing out on the news everyday. Who cares. Have some imagination PLEASE.
That is lame. Better plot and just mail my check to Michigan before November 2009.
G. Gecko leaves prison wearing a hand woven smock.
He decides that insider trading can pay better if he works his game in Antigua.
He retrieves one billion from his under the ocean safe. Flies to Antigua and battles it out with a guy who has more money and wants Gecko to crash the market so he can buy the derivatives and then push the market back up in six months. Gunshots, drug deals, etc. This time Gordon escapes on Shia’s speedboat before the Feds show up and this father and son duo set up pay day advance shops in the Netherlands. Cut to Gecko and Shia smoking as the sunsets charging local workers 24 percent. Closing shot on a yellow Trans am with black stripes.
Shia LeBouf is not worthy of working at Starbucks, let alone working next to Bardem and Douglas. I mean, just because someone like Michael Bay likes him and a movie does well doesn’t mean Shia is bankable. It means giant robots are bankable. This role should be with Anton Yelchin, James McAvoy, some kid who played a vampire or like ANYONE ELSE! Even Luke Grimes.
We won’t know how well the film will be until it comes. Give it time.
Also, how nice to flame a young actor liked Shia. :/ Give the guy a chance to do something serious than always be known as the dorky kid. You never know…he may be good at it.
Wall Street 2 sounds stupid. Daughter??? What about little “Rudy gazoody!!” The only reason to give Gordon a daughter is to “sex up” the movie. How condescending to women. Shia Leboeuf a big star? I don’t think so. His presence is enough to keep me away.
A few years ago I started writing “Wall Street 2″ because I loved the original and thought it was the perfect time for a sequel (little did I know I was right). My story sees Gordon hasn’t mellowed in prison. His arrogance is replaced with bitterness and plans for revenge. While in prison, he’s been grooming Rudy his son to take his place and when Gordon leaves prison, Rudy is there and the two begin their mayhem. By this time, Bud Fox is President of Bluestar Airlines. I hadn’t thought of the hedge fund angle, but I think that would be the way they stage a comeback and could even been the catalysts for the worldwide collapse of the financial markets.
Any thoughts?
I have to admit being perplexed by the Shia haters…He’s actually a pretty good actor. He’s not wooden and comes across as natural.
It takes some skill to convince anyone that a giant robot is menacing you without the giant robot being available for the actual menacing.(Don’t believe me ask George Lucas)
Yes, he’s got the ‘smart ass’ thing down a little too pat but I think the guy has real charisma…although Yelchin would have been really interesting.
Sheen isn’t an option. He’s still po’d at Ollie for giving 4th of July to Tommy. They don’t talk.
Nikki, i really hope you’re wrong on this. You know what it sounds like? It sounds like Wall Street I. but without Gordy Gekko. Now we have Gordy Gekko without himself…….it’s more than boring.
No doubt, this movie will absolutely suck. And unlike most hollywood faire, the people who would be interested in seeing it will actually realize that.
I’m with JENNIFER….”$15 million opening weekend, and then oblivion.”
who plays Madoff?