Constantine 2: the return of the esotericist amid many doubts and little confidence

The long-awaited sequel to Francis Lawrence’s film may appear soon, even if doubts about it are growing.

Konstantin is an unforgettable DC feature film directed by Francis Lawrence (I’m a legend, Red Sparrow) With Keanu Reeves (Matrix, John Wick) to interpret the powerful esotericist born from the pen of Alan Moore in June 1985. The work is certainly not without its shortcomings, most notably the fact that some key characteristics of the original material were changed, which, however, remained in the memory of fans. thanks to the interpretation of Reeves himself, the charisma of the antagonists and the general atmosphere, which is quite consistent with the spirit of the comic. Moreover, last year continuation of Constantine, news that comes as a surprise considering how much time has passed since the first film was released. However, as the months passed, the project became increasingly intangible and unstable, despite some anecdotal evidence. This is why it is appropriate to analyze the film at the project level, trying to understand why there are so many doubts about its creation and few fixed points.

Announcement of continuation

Let’s start with the first certainty that underlies all our analysis, namely the actual officialization of the creation of the Constantine sequel, which occurred in September 2022, specifically. Playing the character, Keanu Reeves, again with the director of the first one, Francis Lawrence, is back behind the camera, with Akiva Goldsman once again writing the script. So the team that wins doesn’t change, and also on the production level we still see DiBonaventura Pictures and obviously Warner Bros., with JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions also taking care of the project. However, what appears to be a concrete element actually already hides the main problem: let’s not forget that the previous film appeared in theaters in 2005, and 18 years have passed since its release on the big screen, so this announcement is late. could have been a gamble, especially considering the series’ interlude about the character ended in tragedy before it even developed.

Attention decline after failed NBC series

As we discuss in our analysis of Lawrence’s cinematic sequel, the 2014 NBC series about the anti-hero created by Daniel Cerone and David S. Goyer certainly had a negative impact on the public’s reception of the film. character, despite the fact that we are talking about two different versions of Constantine. In fact, the show was canceled after just one season due to some controversy surrounding the construction of the titular character, who lacked some of the defining characteristics that made the figure so popular in the comics. Then, given that the last memory of enthusiasts concerns precisely this serial form Hell Blazer (and subsequent speeches by the esotericist in Legends of Tomorrow they definitely haven’t cleaned up the mess), there is a serious risk of pushing forward a project that may not receive the attention it deserves, entering the market at the wrong time, among other reasons, among the public who have already forgotten Reeves’ version of the anti-hero.

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The enthusiasm of Keanu Reeves and Francis Lawrence

Any critical issues aside, both Keanu Reeves and Francis Lawrence have always firmly believed in Constantine 2, so much so that they wanted to see the sequel on the big screen even before confirmation came from Warner Bros. As for Reeves, the actor has never hidden the fact that he particularly loves the character, to the point where he puts a lot of pressure on him to return and embody John Constantine. Likewise, Lawrence also has good reasons to watch the feature film sequel given that it was his film debut and is therefore bound to be deeply attached to the project. While the pair can’t wait to get back into the game, there are several obstacles standing in the way of making the film, most notably the new universe of films and TV series that James Gunn and Peter Safran are planning after becoming co-CEOs. DC studios.

Facing the New DC

Some rumors even claim that the green light is for Konstantin 2 was given before the change in direction occurred company, when the world of DC was still hanging in the balance and there was a lot of space to fill. Now that Gunn and Safran have turned everything on its head by not only having very clear ideas, but also physically planning a new course for Warner Bros.’ superhero universe, it’s clear that the film project is in serious danger of not being part of the ‘other part of the planned plan. A few months ago, Keanu Reeves said that he met directly with James Gunn to try to find a common solution to the problem, explaining that he was not at all confident in making the film and was very skeptical. We don’t actually know what the two said to each other, but it’s likely that the DC Studios co-CEO is still exploring the feasibility of a feature film, thinking about possibly placing the title in later stages of the project. Universe.

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Project with complex placement

We conclude our analysis with one more perplexity regarding Konstantin 2, a film that seems less and less feasible with each passing month. Going back to the previous paragraph, it’s actually worth wondering where the film can claim to fit in the DC world in a complete transformation. The way the new superhero universe was structured, Konstantin it’s like a voice from a choir, a Jurassic find that stubbornly fights against the renewal, both in terms of content and style, of the new DC Studios. So if, on the one hand, the feature film seems to belong more to the past than the future, it is also difficult to imagine how the production could interact in relation to other detective comics products. reboot or completely original projects, which therefore have little in common with sequels already known IP. The only glimmer ultimately seems to be the Elseworlds label, where titles that go beyond continuity like Batman and Joker.