Back in 2008, director Danny Boyle took home in Oscar for Best Director for “Slumdog Millionaire.” The movie actually cleaned house at the Academy Awards, nabbing Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song, and Best Picture, amongst others. It arguably hasn’t aged as well as other winners for Best Pictures in that its seldom talked about, but it’s also arguably a much better picture than “Green Book” or “Crash.” So with its place in Oscar history firmly planted somewhere in the middle, and its strong box office success back in the day, sounds like it’s time for a sequel!
If you haven’t seen “Slumdog Millionaire,” it’s essentially a story about how a contestant- played by Dev Patel– on India’s version of “Who Wants to be A Millionaire?” is able to answer the questions based on things he learned throughout his rather difficult life. It was based on the novel “Q & A” by Vikas Swarup which, should be noted, does not have a sequel. That’s not going to stop up-and-coming studio Bridge7 from trying to make it happen.
The company, formed by Swati Shetty and Grant Kessman, have secured the rights to make the film after arranging a deal with original production company, Celador.
Shetty’s previous experience with Netflix and Disney puts her in a prime position to help push the project forward, even though not much has been discussed about what direction the sequel would go in. In a statement with Kessman, Shetty states her fondness for the original film. “Its narrative is universal, cutting across cultural and geographical lines and it embodies the kind of stories we love — ones that bridge entertainment with profound human experiences.”
Meanwhile, Paul Smith, the Celador International chairman also states his excitement for the film and adds “Celador looks forward to working with Bridge7 as the next chapter of Jamal’s journey of discovery unfolds on the screen.” Jamal is the aforementioned contestant on the film’s game show. In case you haven’t seen the film, we’ll leave his fate unsaid, but there’s a big Bollywood style end to the movie so you should probably watch it just for that. After all, it did take home that Oscar for Best Original Song, so check it out when you can.
Aside from that, we’ll just have to wait and see how things develop for the upcoming picture. No other casting or staffing announcements have been made so we’ll have to wait and see if Danny Boyle will be lured back or if someone else will take the reins for the continuing story.
