Mortensen to replace Costner in Dances with Wolves Sequel?
Kevin Costner’s most iconic role is likely Dances with Wolves. He has pushed out a pile of stinkers and despite that I still enjoy his movies. That being said, when a sequel to his epic frontier tale was in the works he was approached to reprise his role. And refused.
So who will play Dances with Wolves in the sequel based on the novel “The Holy Road”. Well eyes are turning towards Viggo Mortensen right now.
Director Simon Wincer (”The Man From Snowy River”, “Free Willy”) is on the search for a new ‘Dances with Wolves’ and the name we’ve heard that’s the favourite to play the role right now is Viggo Mortensen. If Mortensen can stand pulling himself away from David Cronenberg for a couple of months, the role might do him so good. I think he’d be rather super in it, too.
Now I think this is a bonehead move for Costner, who could really use a big hit right about now. But at the same time there are some issues that make me understand why he wouldnt.
The story takes place seven years after the events of Dances. Can you play a person 7 years older when you are nearly 20 years older?? In movies we tend to overlook these things, but this is a significant gap. Rumour has it that they are pursuing all of the original cast. Stands with a Fist (Pres Roslin on Battlestar Galactica) isn’t looking so young and firm anymore either. Shes aging well, but shes no spring chicken.
Sequels tend to ruin movies. It’s the Highlander syndrome. There should only be one. Dances with Wolves was such a great movie, but does anything more need to be told? Maybe Costner was attempting to avoid being tied to a trainwreck waiting to happen.
Do you want to see more from that story?
11 Comments, Comment or Ping
The Jim Walker
I am very torn. I loved Dances, it is one of my favorite films, and part of me would LOVE to see more…but, another part of me is fearful…
I wanted more “Matrix”…and we got two ass-awful sequels.
I wanted more “Men in Black”… we got a horrible sequel.
I wanted more “Star Wars” we got THREE big, steaming bags of shit with dollar signs on them…
So many awful sequels that taint the originals… Robocop 2/3/4?, Pirates OTC 2/3, Spiderman 3…
BUT, there have been some gems… Terminator 2, the new take on Batman, etc.
May 8th, 2008
Andrew James
Rumors and here say. And if Costner isn’t directing… I’m very skeptical of this.
May 9th, 2008
Mozzerino
This won’t happen.
As big a success as DANCES WITH WOLVES was, over 15 years after the film I guess nobody wants to see a sequel. Nobody is interested. Nobody is interested in Kevin Costner anymore, nobody is interested in this story anymore. It’s just pointless. Besides, what would the sequel be about? There’s nothing to add to this story.
May 9th, 2008
dan
it is better to have a sequel than not at all. what’s the worst that can happen??? you dont see it cos its rubbish…so let them have a go at the sequel and then judge it when it comes out. viggo mortensen would be a perfect replacement should costner say no. if anything it should make the sequel more fresh
May 9th, 2008
Mozzerino
What’s the worst that can happen?
It won’t make any money, that’s what could happen.
You gotta see this from the perspective of the studio, Dan, otherwise you can justify every crap movie ever made.
May 9th, 2008
iris
mortensen is way too good for this. i hope it’s a lie or he comes to his senses. a history of violence was good. eastern promises to me was oscar worthy.
May 9th, 2008
Darren J Seeley
Simon Wincer eh? I could see Wincer directing a sequel…to Quigley Down Under. It didn’t do well, but I enjoyed that film from start to finish. Wincer also helmed various TV films with Tom Selleck later on, and who can forget Lonesome Dove?
Better yet, D.A.R.Y.L could get a sequel twenty three years later. How ’bout it, Mr. Wincer?
As for Dances II…
Rodney-please claify the following statements:
“I think this is a boneheaded move for Costner”
followed by-
“Maybe Costner was attempting to avoid being tied to a trainwreck waiting to happen”
Which is it? Either you think Costner’s dumb for saying no (he really isn’t) or he smart for saying no ( he really isn’t-more on that in a moment). I’d actually rather see him have sequels to the brilliant Open Range which he also directed, or Mr. Brooks which deserved a better box office fate. I wouldn’t mind him playing a “Yuri” living in Russia and his past catches up to him (No Way Out- 21 yrs later! Hah!)
But here’s where I think a sequel to Dances With Wolves could work- and why Costner refused.
At the end of the first movie, Dances and Stands had to leave the Sioux tribe because if they stayed, they put the tribe in more danger. So in this respect, the story of Dances With Wolves is told. Also, Costner won’t be directing, so that, to him, might feel weird. He won an Oscar for it- and regardless of his acting role, he simply won’t be back in the director’s chair on a sequel to a film he won an Oscar for. That’s not a slam on Simon Wincer. My point is, it just won’t seem right. There’s also the possibility that his schedule may not allow it. Or a combination of all the above.
Anyway, what has me concerned is that it is “seven years later”- odd, since Michael Blake’s novel Holy Road has events eleven years after the events. In the book, Dances/Dunbar goes after a group of white Rangers who kidnap Stands and one of his children. Blake is writing the script- and it appears someone told him seven instead of eleven :(
The novel is great- but I’m not so sure that a “movie sequel” is needed. I actually might be more interested in say, what happens to the Sioux eleven (or seven) years later. (Note: if we were to follow an “actual timeline” between films…plus the timeline shown in the first film itself… a major story point could be the tragic event at Wounded Knee.. or the events leading up to it…but that’s just me thinking…)
May 9th, 2008
Rodney
Darren, the “bonehead” comment was my knee jerk reaction. But after some consideration I figure that even though this might actually HELP Costner, I speculated on some reasons he might not have wanted on board.
Thats all.
May 9th, 2008
dingo101
It would have been a bonehead move to just jump on board a sequel to a classic movie that probably hasn’t been thought out and is going to suffer from ’sequel-itis’.
May 9th, 2008
Katya
The author was a close friend of Viggo’s (he wrote another book called “Airman Mortensen”) and lived with Viggo and Exene when he wrote the original script for DWW. He wanted Viggo to play Dunbar in the original film, but off course Costner bought the rights and that was the end of that. Viggo isn’t a big fan of sequels or going backwards, so it is hard to see him doing this.
If it did happen he would be terrific — “Holy Road” is a very different story and not as compelling as “Dances With Wolves” so the script would have to be spectacular.
May 9th, 2008
Jonathan
Mortensen is beyond this role. Do we need another Dances with Wolves? I really hope this is nonsense.
May 11th, 2008
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