Perhaps the most useless sequel looming on the horizon is the follow up to 2007's Nic Cage trashfest Ghost Rider. The production failed on every level possible except at the box office, and since that's all that matters these days, obviously we're going to be forced to sit through another one.
It makes no difference to me who is on board--this sequel is still going to be a wasted effort on the part of everyone involved. Quickly riding roller blades towards the director's chairs, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor are in early negotiations with Columbia to take over the driver's seat from Mark Steven Johnson for Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance. You may recognize them as the dynamic duo who brought you the flashy and entertaining but ultimately mediocre Crank series as well as the recent Gerard Butler actioner Gamer. Their involvement is certainly more exciting than having the reigns handed back to the director of Daredevil, but there's no guarantee Neveldine and Taylor will do anything positive with the already floundering series.
Cage is in talks to put the flaming skull back on, and with his money woes of late, rest assured he'll be taking most roles that come his way. All the wheeling and dealing is in the early stages so really nobody is confirmed yet, but expect to see Neveldine, Taylor, and Cage on the billboards as we approach 2011. The one shining light here is that David S. Goyer--you know him as that guy who wrote a little movie called The Dark Knight--will be at the pen according to THR. While having a good writer is as important as anything, the directors are ultimately the ones who have to get it to the screen, leaving it to a couple of low budget veterans to churn out something that will make money.
Columbia is at risk of losing the rights to the Ghost Rider franchise if it doesn't act soon in getting this sequel going. It's possible that the rights will revert to their rightful owners back at Marvel, now under the massive umbrella that is Disney. One way or the other, no good will come out of a Ghost Rider sequel, whether it be rushed through Columbia or dragged out through Marvel.
We'll keep you posted.
