A couple of years ago, it was revealed that “L.A. Confidential” writer Brian Helgeland had, at one point, met with Warner Bros. about a sequel to the Oscar-winning original film. He didn’t go into much detail, only to say that Chadwick Boseman would have starred in the movie. However, Warner Bros. passed on the idea. Now, Helgeland is opening up about it, talking about how he loved the idea, but apparently it wasn’t just WB who didn’t like the pitch.
Speaking to Deadline (video below), Brian Helgeland talked about the process of getting turned down by multiple studios while he pitched “L.A. Confidential 2.” At one point, the writer confirmed that author James Ellroy was involved with the creation of the pitch and actually served as the pitch performer. But not only did WB pass, but Netflix also passed… out. (Get it?)
“James Ellroy and I worked out an elaborate pitch for ‘L.A. Confidential 2’ that takes place during the Patty Hearst [era], when the Symbionese Liberation Army came down to L.A., and we had Guy Pearce attached and Russell [Crowe] and Chadwick Boseman playing a young cop working for Mayor Bradley,” Helgeland said. “We pitched it everywhere…We had to go to Warner Bros. first and Warner Bros. is like we don’t make movies like this. Ellroy is a performance artist and he would do the pitch, and it was the most amazing pitch.”
He added, “Our executive at Netflix fell asleep during the pitch,” he said. “They fell asleep and nodded off during the pitch. I got home, and was like, ‘We can’t do that anymore.’”
It’s really hard to believe that Netflix, WB, and other studios would pass on a film that is a sequel to an Oscar-winning feature, starring Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe, and Chadwick Boseman. Alas, there must have been something in that pitch that didn’t sit right with the executives. Or perhaps, they all bungled the opportunity to get behind a project that could have been something special.
Obviously, it would appear the sequel isn’t ever going to happen. At least, not in the iteration that Helgeland and Ellroy were pitching. Boseman has sadly passed, and we’re in a situation where the industry is tightening its purse strings and studios are reluctant to really spend huge amounts of money for things that don’t seem like easy bets. Plus, it wouldn’t appear that Ellroy would be very interested, as he recently trashed the original film.
So, at this time, the potential for an “L.A. Confidential” sequel has come and gone.
