Culture 3 min read By Lauren Baxter
Constantine director Francis Lawrence sees renewed hope for sequel
Director Francis Lawrence says he has renewed hope for a Constantine sequel after the exit of James Gunn and Peter Safran from DC Studios, saying people at DC were an impediment to making the film.
Francis Lawrence, director of the 2005 supernatural thriller Constantine, says he has renewed hope that a sequel to the film can finally move forward. The comments follow the departure of James Gunn and Peter Safran from DC Studios, a change that Lawrence believes could open a path for a project that has stalled for roughly two decades.
Lawrence said that people at DC had been an obstacle to getting a follow-up made. « The people that were at DC were an impediment to us making it, » he said, adding that he does not wish job losses on anyone. His remarks suggest that the leadership shake-up, rather than any change in the material itself, is what he sees as clearing the way.
According to the reporting, Lawrence has a script ready and wants to pitch the project to the new leadership at DC Studios. Gunn and Safran have been replaced by Jeremy, a Marvel veteran whose surname was not given in the source material. The sequel's future under the new team remains uncertain, and no timeline or commitment has been announced.
The shake-up is tied to the Warner Bros.–Paramount merger and the departure of Skydance, the company that had been part of the broader corporate picture around DC's film and television operations. Gunn and Safran's exit marks a major change in how the studio's slate will be run going forward.
The original Constantine, starring Keanu Reeves as the demon-hunting John Constantine, was released in 2005 and has retained a cult following in the years since. Lawrence's comments add to a long-running discussion among fans about whether the character will return to the screen, and under what creative control.
Actor Frank Grillo also weighed in on the transition, publicly praising Gunn and Safran after their exit. Grillo has appeared in several DC projects, including Superman, Peacemaker, Creature Commandos and the upcoming Man of Tomorrow, which is slated for release next summer. His public support for the departing producers underscores how closely the cast and crew tied to DC's recent output have followed the leadership changes.
For now, Lawrence's renewed optimism is the most concrete development. A finished script and a director eager to pitch it give the project a foundation, but whether the new DC leadership will embrace a sequel to a film that has been in limbo for about 20 years remains an open question.
Source: reddit.com
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