Robert Redford and Paul Newman had some classic cinematic romps in their hey days, churning out entertaining flicks like The Sting and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. They've never been paired again in thrity years but they may do their best to sneak in one more before their curtains set.
Thankfully they don't seem to be interested in any kind of prequel or sequel schmackery. In a recent interview reported by Reuters, Redford talked about possibilities from the past. "All these years went by and nobody came up with any ideas that were anything but corny and kind of low grade so we just decided probably that wasn't going to happen,But now there's something rolling around that we're talking about it, and the real question is whether he (Newman, now 80) can remember his lines or not."
Redford continued sharing his insights about Hollywood's sequel-happy obsession when asked about a sequel to The Sting. "The stuff that came to us wasn't any good," Redford said. "(They said), 'Can you do a sequel to "The Sting"?' No, leave that one alone ... don't try to milk it. 'What about a sequel to "Butch Cassidy"?' Well, the guys died in it, what is it going to be, a spiritual film? 'Well, how about a prequel?' That's pretty desperate." Never mind that someone eventually made sequels or prequels to both films, but Redford and Newman had the good sense to stay away.
It's great to hear an actor/producer with sensibility when it comes to sequel glut. Still, there's a tinge of hypocrisy buried within. Reuters also reports that Redford is working on plans for a sequel to The Candidate a film which portrayed the bitter harsh environment faced by idealistic Democrat politicians. Redford feels its time to speak out once again. He will reprise his role from the 1972 film, but now his character is President and will no doubt have many important and not so subtle things to say about the state of the nation. I for one would consider a politics film sequel gluttonous, but then I think most movie sequels are tripe. I guess politics can mess with the sensibilities in anyone.
So, the question remains, what project is out there that could pull Redford and Newman away from their ranches, horse and salad dressing respectively? There have been reports of a film adaptation of the travel book A Walk In The Woods about two men's hiking journey through America's backyard. Personally, I'd rather see them get together with Ted Danson and Harvey Keitel and turn Space Cowboys into a franchise, but that's just me. In the meantime Redford is preparing for the release of his next film, An Unfinished Life, which hits theaters in two weeks.
