Russell Crowe Pursuing More Master & Commander?

[GreenScar]

An AP story that I caught via USAToday says that Russell Crowe is looking to reprise his role from Master & Commander. He says a script has been completed based on The Reverse of the Medal, which is novel number eleven in the twenty-volume series by Patrick O’Brian. Speculation has long run rampant (well, perhaps not ‘rampant’, but the subject still comes up) that Crowe was interested in another film, but this is the first real confirmation we’ve had. The report doesn’t name the screenwriter.

Given that the film has been a favorite among Crowe fans and that another seventeen novels remain unadapted (the first film drew from three books), sequel talk has cropped up occasionally in the years since Peter Wier’s film appeared in 2003. But in 2005 Weir said he didn’t think it was likely, which isn’t a huge surprise. Making a big nautical adventure is expensive, and Master & Commander isn’t the sort of film that sets the box office on fire. Doing another $150m adult adventure picture at sea seems like a risky move. It’s not the sort of movie Fox makes now. Crowe isn’t even signed for another film, though Paul Bettany and other cast members were signed to multiple pictures at one time. That was six, seven years ago, however, and probably doesn’t mean anything now.

Indeed, Crowe is quoted saying “there’s still a long way to go,” in the process to getting another film made. I won’t pretend to have read the books, but following is a block quote of synopsis from Amazon. Regardless, I’d love to see another film in this series. As the AV Club has noted, this could easily have been the beginning of a great franchise, and one with some hilariously memorable sequences: “Fox should green-light an adaptation of the second novel, Post Captain, solely for the sequence where Russell Crowe sneaks across the Spanish border in a bear costume.”

Brief synopsis:

Oh snap! I hope so!

[Astalder]

I'd love to see another, I gave up on that possibility awhile ago but I'd definitely be one of those Crowe fans that showed up if they did make a sequel.

[DeadDog]

I'd definitely love to see a sequel. I enjoyed Master & Commander when I first saw it and recently purchased it on blu-ray and REALLY loved it!

Here's hoping something gets made.

[JimShaw]

I can't wait!!!!!!!

[PH3AR]

never saw first one. but i need to thoU!

[JimShaw]

Originally Posted by PH3AR

never saw first one. but i need to thoU!

You own a Blu player and have not seen or heard Master and Commander? You have got to get it. It is my demo for audio.

[SonOfArathorn]

Audio tour de force, video disaster.

But yeah, I would love another, there is plenty of source material.

[Drewza89]

I really hope that a sequel comes to fruition. I saw the first one at the theater and loved it. I had been hoping all of these years that Crowe would do another one. I had given up hope for a sequel, so this is great news!

[groove93]

I own the DVD, not the Blu, but damn this is one entertaining movie, and I'm not crazy about these types of films. If you haven't seen this film yet, you're missing out on a pure audio Candy Store with the DTS track this film came with. You will be overwelmed, I promise you!!!!

[iori]

Last time I watched it was in the theater, it was good but not a favorite of mine.

[cflames89]

Almost bought it today on Blu. I for one would enjoy seeing a second flick.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by JimShaw

I can't wait!!!!!!!

I can, I did not love the adaptation they made of the books and I don't see them changing it for the second movie, will be more of them same

[Steve]

I would be glad to see a sequel made.

[esteban²]

After he asked everyone to mail FOX back in 2011, Russel Crowe is -once again- back to push Master & Commander 2.



One can hope ...

[BagheeraMcGee]

Hopefully Crowe can recruit Peter Weir back to direct; I'd love to see this happen!

[MifuneFan]

I can't see it happening. The first one was a box office failure, and really just has a respectable following now. For the scale of the movie, it would probably have a pretty large budget (original was $150 million in 2004, which is about the same as The Matrix Reloaded the previous year), and I can't see Fox, or any other studio taking a risk on it.

[imsounoriginal]

Is Peter Weir even able to take on another one of these? Without him AND the rest of the cast coming back, I don't have much interest.

[Visionist]

It'd be a dream come true. I agree that financially it'd be very difficult sell. How old is Peter Weir now?

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Visionist

It'd be a dream come true. I agree that financially it'd be very difficult sell. How old is Peter Weir now?

73. The last movie he directed was in 2010.

[MJD64]

Can't imagine this will come to fruition. The first one bombed badly even with great reviews and Crowe at the height of his box-office popularity. Crowe isn't even a big enough box-office star anymore to get such an ambitious and expensive project made. I liked the first film and have no objections to a sequel or even a series, but it just doesn't seem practical.

Pardon the pun, but this ship has sailed.