I am reviewing a classic film and one that is streamed for my outlets each week during lockdown. Reseeing Master and Commander, the finest maritime film ever made, with Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany, made me wonder why there was no sequel. Patrick O'Brien's nautical novels were perfect for this. It made money though not as much as was hoped. Crowe is keen on the idea.
Filmmaking / Directing : Master and Commander-why no sequel to this brilliant film? by Richard Fitzwilliams
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You know, this movie just won't die. I just keep hearing about how good it was, even almost 15 years later. I'm going to check it out now...
All I can think really is that maritime films are uber expensive and time consuming to make, compared to others. It's already a roller coaster for producers.
Budget v. ROI ... not a winner ...
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Big Lavish Costume Epic Shot on Water.
What could possibly go wrong?
I watched it again this past week. It was the last movie I watched with my Dad before he passed. Lots of emotions around it. It's an amazing film. And I LOVED the Horatio Hornblower series too.
I just don't think there's a big interest in that particular historical era.(Pirates of the Caribbean not withstanding.) Epic costume action movies? (WITH DRAGONS!) Sure. But a period piece of that era? I mean - it doesn't even pass the so called "Bechdel Test". (A feature with no female roles. Yeah - that's a big box office hit.)
Wasn't Emma Watson cast in Napoleon and Betsy? Anything come of that? You know - Jane Austin, drawing room movies - sure. "Downton Abbey" was great on TV - not so big on the big screen.
I think it might be possible these days - to accomplish a lot with 'The Volume' sort of set they use for The Mandalorian though. So you might could create a series around it - providing you had a strong female role in the story line.
And I say this with the sad realization that I have not one, but four epic period scripts. I write them because they're the kind of movie I'd love to see - but I know no one WANTS to read them.
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It is always expensive to make a period drama but this was made with remarkable attention to detail, had a superb cast and was nominated for 10 Oscars. Russell Crowe actually said he wanted to make a sequel a decade ago. This could have been the start of a series based on the novels and they could have gradually got an ever larger following. This got superb reviews too. There might well be enthusiasm online which there was not in 2003! There are not many films in this genre, the three Mutiny on the Bounty films and Billy Budd being the best known. All are fascinating in various ways.
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Considering how much source material is available, this would probably be better-suited as a series.
It would make a marvellous series. Also dramatic licence could be obviously be taken with the novels but this uniquely realistic depiction of what it was like at sea in 19th Century was what made this so special & must be kept.
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It could work as a series - again, you'd need to beef up a female storyline. But as I mentioned, the technology nowadays surrounding "The Volume" - could make it more cost effective. A scale deck on gimbals placed inside "The Volume" - it's what I'm proposing for my WWII submarine series. (And yes - there's a female storyline - NOT on the sub)
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https://screenrant.com/master-commander-2-sequel-not-happen-reason-explained/
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Amazing film. But tremendously expensive to produce.
Zach how right you are. Richard Thanks for the article which I hadn’t seen. Clearly we won’t expect it but it remains a possibility. The absence of a single female speaking part would certainly not be repeated. The article mentions the superb Gladiator & the dreadful Troy though Alexander was far worse. The imaginative 300 made a fortune & bits of Exodus Gods & Kings & the spectacular scenes in Kingdom of Heaven were splendid.
I wonder if there will be a fourth Mutiny on the Bounty film? It’s many years since the 1984 Hopkins/Gibson version. Again, it is so expensive. I’d love to have seen David Lean’s take on it but it was never made (Bligh is a distant ancestor & I lecture on the topic).