Can we maybe just see if the first one is any good before we start announcing things?
Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit director Peter Jackson sure likes creating franchises. His latest project, Mortal Engines, hasn’t even come out yet but he’s already thinking about sequel possibilities.
In speaking with CinemaBlend, Jackson said that “This is one movie where I hope it’s successful enough that we get to do the other stories because the other books are really…this story mushrooms in such unexpected ways in the future books.”
He went on: “I think that is where we have an advantage where Philip Reeve didn’t, because when he wrote the first book I don’t think he knew he was going to write the other books…We have benefited, obviously, knowing what’s in the other books in the future. So there are little subtle things we’re doing that will help us flow into the other.”
Meaning, despite the fact that Warner Brothers has no idea how people are going to respond to Mortal Engines or how much it will make at the box office, they’ve already got dollar signs in their eyes.
What’s interesting is that Mortal Engines isn’t actually directed by Jackson. You’d be forgiven for thinking so, as the trailers mention him every chance they get, but it’s actually coming from Christian Rivers — who is making his feature-film directorial debut. Jackson is only serving as a producer.
A new trailer for Mortal Engines just dropped a couple of days ago and, I don’t know, it looks okay I guess. The idea of a bunch of cities traveling and battling each other all Mad Max style is kind of cool and could lend itself to some really neat visuals, but I also can’t escape the Jupiter Ascending or Cloud Atlas feeling I get when watching this — neither of which are movies that I enjoyed at all.
Still, the source material has its fans, so maybe we’ll all be in for a surprise when the movie is released. Jackson’s excitement is somewhat encouraging, at least.
Mortal Engines stars Hera Hilmar, Frankie Adams, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Lang and Robert Sheehan. It will hit theaters on Dec. 14.
Watch the Mortal Engines trailer here and let us know, in the comments below, if you’re planning on seeing this movie in the theaters.