2014’s LUCY was an unexpected smash, earning $463 million at the global box office, garnering some solid reviews, and proving Scarlett Johansson is a box office draw without the help of iron men or hulks. It was Luc Besson’s biggest directorial effort ever, and one would assume ripe for a sequel. A follow-up could be considered “long-gestating” at best, but word is Besson has already completed a big step in the process in bringing us more sci-fi-action goodness.
In a report by Variety on how Besson’s production company, EuropaCorp, plans to scale back and reconfigure their filmmaking strategy, it was revealed that Besson has already written the script for a sequel to LUCY. No word on when production could start, or if Johansson would return, but the project is nonetheless in development.
Besson had been averse to making a sequel when the movie was first coming out, saying it wasn't "meant for that", but about two years ago it was announced a sequel was in development. Since then nothing has been spoken on the matter, as Besson has spent time making his dream project — the costly VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS.
The news of EuropaCorp’s shift in business strategy comes off the dismal year the studio has had, producing such flops as THE CIRCLE (Tom Hanks and Emma Watson), the expensive flop, VALERIAN and more. News is the studio plans to focus more on action flicks like TAKEN and LUCY, all costing between $25-$35 million. This includes a female-led action film Besson is shooting next month, and chances are LUCY 2 could fit into that upcoming schedule soon.
The plot of LUCY involved an ordinary woman (Johansson) being used as a drug mule and has a bag of drugs sewn into her abdomen. She is then kicked in the stomach, and the bag breaks, sending the drug into her system, allowing her to progressively access more and more of her brain. She soon becomes super smart and begins to possess special powers, all before getting too powerful and just, sort of, evaporating into the ether.
LUCY was a solid action flick, but I agree with Besson's earlier analysis that it didn't really lend itself to a sequel, at least not with Johansson. I have no clue if the movie would bring her back or not, or if they would do a whole new story with a new leading lady. But then it would seem odd to still have "LUCY" in the title. What, is he gonna find another woman named Lucy to make super smart? Is having that name a criteria for uber-usage of the brain? Maybe Morgan Freeman could explain it all.