Writer comments on the predictive power of Demolition Man, sequel potential

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

It seems like it's time for me to revisit the 1993 film DEMOLITION MAN, which is available for viewing through Amazon Prime Video.

Although I watched that movie several times when I was a kid (and even saw it in the theatre when it was first released), it has probably been more than twenty years since the last time I watched it. Yet I keep being reminded of it by people online comparing our modern society to the vision of 2032 the film brought to the screen, and now the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have brought us even closer to the film's 2032.

Directed by Marco Brambilla, DEMOLITION MAN starred Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, and Sandra Bullock. The synopsis: 

Sgt. John Spartan doesn't fight crime. He rips into it like a junkyard dog. He's the Demolition Man and he's the future's only hope. Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes go at it amid dazzling cyber-future of 2032 (designed by Blade Runner's David L. Snyder) in this funny action blast. Arch criminal Simon Phoenix (Snipes) has fled a 35-year CryoPrison deep freeze to find a serene non-violent Southern California ready for the taking. Unable to deal with his psychopathic 1990s style, authorities seek an old-fashioned cop to fight old-fashioned crime. They revive Spartan (Stallone), currently in CryoPrison from his last encounter with Phoenix.

The initial screenplay was written by Robert Reneau and Peter M. Lenkov, then HEATHERS screenwriter Daniel Waters stepped in to perform a rewrite that was so substantial he ended up earning the head writing credit. Waters brought the comedic aspect to the film, inspired by the thought, "What if all of L.A. became CityWalk?" 

DEMOLITION MAN envisioned a future where people can no longer kiss, shake hands, or have direct-contact sex; smoking is banned; there is no toilet paper; Taco Bell is the most popular restuarant (actually, it's the only restaurant); people have to watch what they say more than ever before; meetings are held through teleconferences; there are "virtual wallets"; and Arnold Schwarzenegger got into politics. This is why so many viewers are seeing it as a visionary film now.

Speaking with Vulture, Waters acknowledged that the world does seem to be getting closer and closer to the one he wrote of nearly thirty years ago.

It’s funny, a friend of mine introduced me to her boyfriend at the New Beverly theater, just as the last few theaters were open, and as we did it we were like, “This could be the last handshake we ever give.” Two total strangers, we had a look in our eyes like, “That could be it, huh? That felt weird.” I loved seeing the quote-unquote handshake Rob Schneider and Benjamin Bratt give each other in this. I can totally see it. Once you get into, “We don’t want anything icky in the future,” then it’s funny how it just happens. You wouldn’t touch. You wouldn’t have sex, oh, God, no.

Sandra Bullock is so good in the movie. The line, “They used handfuls of wadded-up (toilet) paper,” the way she says it, like, that is kind of primitive, isn’t it? Why would we use handfuls of wadded-up paper? And, “I was wondering if you’d like to have (VR) sex?” I don’t think I would have dared to go as far with it if I didn’t know Stallone was going to be the star. Knowing I’ve got the great caveman as my lead actor, I could lean even more into it."

The mini-monologue she gives, about the different pandemics that led to this point—

That speech, it seems so reasonable now. Slowly but surely, we’re getting them all. When that movie came out, there was still smoking in bars. Now you can’t even smoke outside."

Waters also mentioned that there had been talk of making a sequel, and the idea centered on the daughter Spartan mentions but we never see in the film. 

First of all, nobody seems to do the math that the daughter would be older than Stallone. We filmed a scene where … an actress that I like — Elizabeth Ruscio — she was in this great miniseries with Juliette Lewis called Home Fires. Nobody’s ever heard of it, but it’s brilliant. Anyway, she ends up playing Stallone’s daughter. It’s a tender scene, [and it] just stopped the movie dead. So, Joel’s like, “Cut it. Just cut it.” And so we cut the scene out. And then I tell you, all our first test screenings … everyone thought Sandra Bullock was the daughter. So, when they’re about to have sex, the whole audience is, “Oh, no.” … And we thought, “Maybe we should cut out all mentions of the daughter.” Can’t do it. We can’t do it. We need something. And then Joel Silver’s like, “Meryl Streep is the daughter [for the sequel]. She needs a big box office action movie.” I go, “No, she doesn’t.” But he was like, “If I get her to do it, will you come on?” Which is funny, because to get Winona Ryder off my back (about a HEATHERS sequel), I had told her the story of her character in HEATHERS, going to Washington and working for a senator named Heather — played by Meryl Streep. She was like, “I pitched to Meryl, she’s excited.” So, I’m doomed, for no Meryl Streep sequels are happening. But yes, Joel did talk about a sequel."

By the time the interview ended, Waters was imagining a sequel himself, and said if there was a follow-up he would have to reveal how the "three seashells" alternative to toilet paper actually works.

I’d have to “come clean” with the three seashells and just have a graphic… I mean, that’d be the trailer. I wouldn’t even need to show action, just a teaser of Stallone walking into a stall. He sees the three seashells, and he turns to the camera, “Do you want to find out, or what?” If we make movies again, maybe I can do this."

If Waters, Stallone, Bullock, and Meryl Streep wanted to get together for a DEMOLITION MAN 2, I'd be all for it. And by the way, I'd be all for that HEATHERS 2 idea starring Ryder and Streep as well.