Angelina Jolie Drops Out of ‘Wanted’ Sequel

Last summer, word got out in the media that director Timur Bekmabetov was looking to make a sequel to “Wanted,” the insane 2008 action movie starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman and the rapper Common. Also then, it was said he wanted Angelina Jolie back for a part, which prompted speculation this might turn out to be a prequel. News has now surfaced that “Wanted 2” is not happening at all because Jolie bailed on the project, Collider can confirm.

Fans of the film were, no doubt, excited about the idea of getting a sequel, even though many said that chances of making it work were slim to none. Still, the idea of seeing Angelina reprise her role as the deadly fast and slick Fox was enough to get hopes high and more so as reports said Bekmabetov was this close to getting her signed on to the project. We’ll never know whether that was truly the case or not because Jolie has reportedly shifted her focus from “Wanted 2” to a project called “Gravity” by Alfonso Cuaron.

“Wanted was way more fun than it had any right to be. So while I was looking forward to the sequel, there was always the lingering question of whether the madcap frenzy that made Wanted such a blast could be repeated – and if it could, would that be the makings of a good popcorn movie or just lukewarm leftovers? It so happens that we’ll never find out, because Angelina Jolie has dropped out of Wanted 2 according to Vulture, which in turn inspired Universal to bury the project,” Collider writes, citing well informed sources.

“But don’t fret too much: when the movie gods close a door, they open a window. Jolie has reportedly set her sights on Gravity, a space thriller from Children of Men director Alfonso Cuaron. […] At one point Cuaron was said to be eying The Tourist, the political thriller starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. Though that never came to pass, it appears it may have gotten the pair talking about future projects. According to the report, Jolie would play ‘the sole surviving human member of a space mission, desperately trying to return home to Earth and her daughter.’ It sounds like there may be a lot of solo screen time for Jolie’s character if the film gets made,” the movie-oriented e-zine goes on to say.

Moreover, if this checks out, Angelina Jolie will certainly do wonderfully in the part of a desperate mother, if her performance in last year’s “The Changeling” is anything to go by. Keep an eye on this space for more details on this and we’ll keep you updated the moment they emerge.