I must admit, as a huge fan of 1997’s L.A. Confidential, I never really pegged the flick as a sequel-friendly enterprise. Adapted from author James Ellroy’s book of the same name, Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce stood front and center of a hard boiled noir classic that deconstructed post-war L.A. in a style few could hope to achieve. However, knowing that Crowe and Pearce could have starred in a potential L.A. Confidential 2 with the late great Chadwick Boseman not only has me convinced this idea could have worked, but I’m now bummed this never happened.
While attending this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, screenwriter/director Brian Helgeland was on hand to promote his latest film, Finestkind. In that discussion, the Academy Award winner laid out the story of the potential sequel to his work with the late Curtis Hanson; which you can watch in the clip presented below:
Brian Helgeland on the 'L.A. Confidential' sequel and why it never saw the light of day #TIFF23 pic.twitter.com/DWkzdkQmEgSeptember 9, 2023
I don’t know what to be more mad about: the fact that Warner Bros, the studio that made L.A. Confidential, said “we don’t movies make like this,” or the anecdote that revealed the Netflix exec that fell asleep during this pitch. Both scenarios suck, as this iconic detective story was apparently labeled not worth pursuing. Not even with the dream team of Chadwick Boseman, Russell Crowe, and Guy Pearce attached as participants.
Then again, the history of L A. Confidential as an IP seems to further highlight how that first movie truly was lightning in a bottle. Only a few short years after its release a TV series was pitched that would have seen Kiefer Sutherland playing one of the leads; but that project was passed on as well. That concept was revisited as recently as 2018, when CBS apparently developed their own pitch that similarly went to the big nowhere.
The more I think about it, the more I’m both bummed out and annoyed that everyone passed on a 1970’s set L.A. Confidential 2, with Chadwick Boseman at the height of his acting powers. Reuniting Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce for the occasion just makes the scenario all the more tempting. While it’s bittersweet that Boseman’s untimely passing robbed us of seeing him in this exciting role, with the right casting this might still be an idea worth pursuing.
Even if Brian Helgeland and James Ellroy’s pitch was to get off the ground, a part of me would still be upset that this now lost pitch never got to happen in its previous form. However, I'd still love to see the pitch Helgeland and James Ellroy cooked up, as that story about Ellroy's animated presentation process is too good to leave in the darkness of "what ifs."
On the brighter side of things, Helgeland’s new movie Finestkind has already impressed our own Corey Chichizola in its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. There’s no word on when exactly this new project will hit the 2023 movie release schedule, just that it will be debuting sometime in November for those with access to a Paramount+ subscription.
