The King's Speech 2 anyone? Yes please; I do love a bit of Bertie.
As reported this morning by The Sun, Colin Firth has signed on for a sequel to The King's Speech. Of course he has, his turn as King George VI earned him an Oscar. In total, the movie scooped four golden gongs; not too shabby. But is this the wisest move? Is this a case of a sequel for sequel's sake or can you really strike gold twice? Sometimes it's a better idea to leave well enough alone; preserve the brilliance of the original article. Not often the case though where Hollywood's concerned, especially when there's millions to be made. Then there are times where sequels do actually improve upon the original (Shrek 2, The Godfather II). At least there's enough genuine story here so that this could potentially work. After all, we left Bertie just at the beginning of his reign. What soon faced the King of England would be far more challenging than a stammer, World War 2.
Apparently, the second film, helmed again by Tom Hooper, will centre more so on the Blitz of World War II than the Bertie's difficulties with elocution. All three key cast members - Firth, Bonham-Carter, Rush - expect to reprise their roles.
The growing relationship between the King and his speech therapist Lionel Logue will be further explored, the story of the war depicted through the different experiences of both of their families.
An insider said: "The sequel is going to be about the experience of families during the Blitz. It will focus on how the privileged Royal Family was hit by the crisis, compared to the more ordinary family of George VI's speech therapist... The focus will be on George, but it will also show how the whole royal household was affected. There's still amazing interest in the Blitz. The movie is still in the very early stages, but everyone's keen to get going soon."
With Downton Abbey and the recent Parade's End, we're on a roll with the war stories; bring it on.