CRANK and CRANK 2: HIGH VOLTAGE co-director Brian Taylor is a pretty busy dude, these days. In addition to being a creative behind the camera of the pulse-pounding Jason Statham-led CRANK film series, Taylor has just released MOM AND DAD, an over-the-top horror comedy starring Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair. Oh, but he's not stopping there, no sir. He's also one half of the creative team behind SYFY's HAPPY!, a series adaptation of the gritty graphic novel written by Grant Morrison with art by Darick Robinson.
Recently, while appearing on an episode of The Movie Crypt podcast hosted by Adam Green (HATCHET) and Joe Lynch (MAYHEM), Taylor began waxing rhapsodic about the future of the CRANK franchise, and its title character, Chev Chelios. During the show, Taylor admitted to his fellow movie maker hosts that, “The prospects for Crank 3 would be much improved if the second movie had made more than $12 at the box office,” Taylor mused, half-jokingly. “So there really isn’t like a Fast & Furious financial incentive to do it, right? So, it’s got to be a great idea. It’s got to be everybody on the same page and passionate about doing something insane. My feeling about Crank 3 is that Crank 3 should be as exponentially more f—ed up than Crank 2 as Crank 2 was Crank 1. Obviously, there’s been talk here and there but I’ve never really felt that creatively it was f—ed up enough to really do. Because the studio will get in contact with us: ‘What do you guys think about this?’ ‘What do you guys think about that?’ And the scenarios are always very tame compared to what I think it should be.”
While the situation might sound like a non-starter, Taylor isn't giving up hope just yet. As a matter of fact, the GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE co-director thinks that taking Chelios to the small screen might be that franchise's best bet. “Obviously, there’s a great movie there somewhere,” said the director. “I don’t know if it’s going to be Jason Statham in a wheelchair, 40 years from now. I think there should be a Crank cinematic universe. Not just one movie. So who knows? There’s nothing in the works right now. But you never know. Me and Mark are brothers for life.”
I don't know about you, but I'd definitely be willing to give another Chev Chelios movie a go. While I do think the original was far better than its sequel, I'm confident that, somewhere, a ludicrous scenario is waiting in the wings for Chelios. I mean, it's not like they broke the brain bank with the first two movies. Besides, a little bit of high-octane ultra violence is good for the soul, every now and again.
Do you have any ideas for a CRANK sequel or television series? Let us know in the comment section below!