Olympus Has Fallen was a nice little sleeper hit in its release during last year’s off season, so naturally those in charge looked for a way to keep the party going. Not too long after the first film’s success died down, London Has Fallen was announced, confirming that for at least one more go-around the minds in charge found a story worth blowing things up for. Up until now, the only plot details we had fit into one line: Mike Banning goes to London, it all goes down. The time has come for a little more information, as well as a release date and new distributor, courtesy of an official press release.
Focus Features issued a document stating that they have not only acquired the distribution rights to London Has Fallen, but they will be opening on October 2, 2015. Gerard Butler is the only star officially attached to return, which leaves Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, and director Antoine Fuqua all in limbo for the time being. Since Butler is also a producer on this would-be franchise, it wouldn’t be surprising if he has the rapport and the pull to bring all three collaborators back into the fold. (While he’s at it, he should bring back Angela Bassett, and give her some field work this time around.)
As for the film’s plot, this is what the official release has to say:
"The sequel to the worldwide smash hit "Olympus Has Fallen" begins in London, where the British Prime Minister has passed away under mysterious circumstances. His funeral is a must-attend event for leaders of the Western world. But what starts out as the most protected event on earth, turns into a deadly plot to kill the world's most powerful leaders and unleash a terrifying vision of the future. Only three people have any hope of stopping it: the President of the United States, his formidable secret service head (Butler), and an English MI-6 agent who rightly trusts no one."
So we’ve got the President, which depending on how long of a gap there is between this film and its predecessor, could or could not be Aaron Eckhart. His involvement will probably dictate Morgan Freeman’s involvement, as the two of them are in the same administration. Either could always come back for London Has Fallen in the time-honored role of "trusted friend who gets to see action this time around", which only leaves one key role to cast in that synopsis: the MI-6 agent. On the higher end of the wish list, Tom Hardy seems perfect for this role, and it’d give him some time to warm up for Splinter Cell, since this production period should be a relatively short and recent affair. Failing his involvement, Dominic Cooper would work as well, provided he isn’t tied down to more marvelous obligations.
The Fallen franchise has a lot of potential for action and adventure all over the world, and Gerard Butler just might have found a franchise to call all his own. The move to a more prominent distributor, as well as the same first weekend slot Gravity occupied last October, show a lot of confidence in the return outing's chances of success. If the team plays things right, this could be his Die Hard. Let’s just hope London Has Fallen is more like Die Hard With A Vengeance and less like… well, any other Die Hard movie out there. London Has Fallen will be released in theaters October 2nd, 2015; and Olympus Has Fallen is currently on Netflix Instant.
