Midnight Run is one of the great little movies of the 80’s, the first film that really showcased Robert DeNiro as a comedic lead and one of the few that does without leaving a bad taste in one’s mouth. It’s priceless and with a supporting cast featuring John Ashton, Dennis Farina, Yaphet Kotto, Joe Pantoliano it’s damn near sublime. You want to talk about a good pair of films, director Martin Brest pulled this off right after the still-classic Beverly Hills Cop. Apparently the Devil came to collect on their deal with Meet Joe Black and Gigli, the last two films the director has made. Even his most acclaimed film Scent of a Woman has aged like a drug-addled transient.
Per The Hollywood Reporter DeNiro is back as Jack Walsh in a sequel to Midnight Run to be written by the guy who did the pretty decent Role Models and where typically I’d cringe at a sequel this one has some sort of divinity surrounding it because I can’t envision them making a movie that isn’t at least a little fun and a nice change of pace for one of our best actors who hasn’t made a great film since Ronin [and 1998 was a long time ago].
Apparently Walsh will be teamed up with a younger companion in this film [please don’t be Seann William Scott], which gives me butterflies, but if DeNiro can embody that great character once again I doubt I’ll care.
And for what it’s worth John Ashton, Yaphet Kotto, Charles Grodin, Joe Pantoliano, and Dennis Farina are still vital and in need of paying gigs.
21 comments
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? Look, no one loves "Midnight Run" more than I do. It's a classic, with quotable lines, dynamic chemistry, and wonderful characters. It's also kinda sad that many people have never seen the film.. BUT THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO GO. The original was about the relationship between the two characters, NOT about a bounty hunter and his Flavor-of-the-Week Bounty. This isn't James Bond, you dipshit studio heads, where you can just hit find/replace with characters and locations. Without one, the other has no reason to exist for a two hour running time. You know, I sat on my hands when they announced "The Karate Kid" remake. I remained silent when a sequel to "Wall Street" was announced…BUT NOT THIS TIME. This time, you've gone too far, Hollywood! I swear to God, it seems like 90% of studio executives hate movies. Fuckin' assholes.
They already made a bunch of "Midnight Run" sequels in the early 90s, with Christopher McDonald as Jack Walsh. They were terrible. Don't see how this is going to be any different, De Niro or not.
You're damn fucking right.
Man, that movie has everything. And among all the macho fun you have that heartbreaking scene with the daughter. Big boots to fill.
My question is, which guy who wrote Role Models? The guy who came up with the story and did the initial write up of the film? From my understanding when David Wain was brought on-board there were extensive rewrites which were also done in conjunction with Paul Rudd and Ken Marino……..if any of those three are writing it, my interest is piqued slightly. If not…..groansville. Midnight Run is a favorite. I have it on HD-DVD for godness sakes.
You really think it's more of a concern that Sean William Scott might be the younger guy and not Shia Lebouff?
No.
This could be good. Is Charles Grodin coming back? I sort of want to see the made for TV sequels they did in the 90's, but I probably won't be able to find them. That's probably a good thing.
When in the name of fuck are we getting a Midnight Run Blu-Ray, or at least a special edition DVD?
co-signing everything Lao Che said.
Oh, and here's a clip of one of the earlier sequels. bleh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HIajSoRo2I
It's not that Scent of the woman hasn't aged terribly. It's that it was a mediocre movie with some truly awful scenes on the day it was released.
Get Charles Grodin back and that great supporting cast – they were all brillaint – if its just De Niro alone it wont work.
The great chemistry between De Niro's slow fuse and Grodin's sardonic manner was sublime chemistry. Without one or the other it wont work.
This one sequel to a DeNiro movie I'd actually like to see. Midnight Run is fucking GENIUS. Din't Kotto also turn up playing Alonso Moseley in a completely unrelated movie?
Younger comedic lead should be Aziz Ansari. I will not settle for less.
I'm not going to argue DeNiro's resume has been shitty post-Ronin, but The Good Shepherd shouldn't be forgotten, and The Score has moments.
Midnight Run is without doubt one of DeNiro's best movies so I'm kind of torn. On one hand I'd love to see him play an older Jack Walsh, but on the other I agree with the first poster …the movie was about the journey of those two characters, the interaction between Walsh and Mardukas and the brilliant, brilliant work of DeNiro and Grodin playing off each other – not to mention the superb turns by Kotto, Ashton and Farina. Without every one of those guys, without the original, joyous score even – there's no possible way this can work. I'd be more hopeful if Brest could reunite that entire cast to tell a story about Jimmy Serrano finally getting out of jail and looking for payback on Mardukas and Walsh, but if he can't get even one of those guys, it won't work.
I think, actually, that the first film to showcase DeNiro as a comedic lead was King of Comedy, hands down.
"These things go down!"
"There were a couple I might have taken a shot at…"
Something is off here. The film is 22yrs old and much loved only by the few people who seem to know about it. Written by the guy who wrote an OK movie that I wouldn't really recommend? Unless Martin Brest is involved, it's hard for me to really believe this is happening. BTW…Meet Joe Black is a pretty wonderful film. A topic for another day though, eh?
I sincerely love the first film and I dont mind a sequel as long as they attempt to make it with at least half the heart that beats in the first one. I'd dig it if Jack Walsh role was switched and have De Niro be the runaway.
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