Rejected GR2 pitch

[OddBob]

The writer and director team of Todd Farmer and Patrick Lussier (who worked with Nicolas Cage on Drive Angry) pitched their own version of Ghost Rider 2 that was ultimately rejected for being too violent.

Farmer has posted the story of how they got involved as well as their entire 23 page treatment on his website:

Ghost Rider What IF (http://wendago.com/2012/02/17/ghost-rider-what-if/)

It's an interesting read.

[protocida]

Ghost Rider 2: Riders in the Storm.

Johnny Blaze has become an alcoholic after defeating Blackheart and defying Mephistopholes by turning the Ghost Rider into a weapon against him, and now lives on the move with his friend, Deacon Gray, who helps him deal with being the Spirit of Vengeance.

One day, Johnny and Deacon are lured into a tunnel by a cult led by a psychic called Zodiak, who has captured the passengers of a bus and used them to perform a ritual that traps the Ghost Rider in a magic circle. Although Deacon helps the Ghost Rider to escape, the cult murders all the passengers and Zodiak tricks the Ghost Rider into killing Deacon before escaping. With his dying breath, Deacon blames Johnny for everything.

One year later, Johnny is living in England, where he works as the warden of a marsh, a job he got with the help of his friend, Squire Brooks. One day, Squire is murdered by three poachers, causing the Ghost Rider to emerge and chase after them. Meanwhile, in Munich, Zodiak and his men, which include his girlfriend Maddy Simonescu, invade a museum and kidnapp The Curator as well as stealing a skull contained in a jar of dirt, which they storage in a canister. This causes the Ghost Rider's powers to give out, and he nearly dies before punishing the poachers.

The following day, Johnny is preparing to leave when he's approached by Kate Ronson, a member of The Cabal, a secret society formed by representatives of all of the world's religions, which protects Earth from evil. Kate tells Johnny that there were six Ghost Riders before him, and their skulls were buried across Europe by The Cabal. However, Zodiak and his cult are collecting the skulls, and, at each skull they acquire, Johnny will become weaker. Kate's mission is to retrieve the skulls before Zodiak, and she needs Johnny's help, because the only two people who knows where they're hidden is The Curator, who has been captured, and Johnny, due to his connection with the Ghost Rider.

Johnny and Kate travel to the catacombs of the Denfert-Rocheau in Paris to get the next skull, but are attacked by Zodiak and his men. Meanwhile, The Curator attempts to escape, but is taken again by Maddy. The Ghost Rider emerges and nearly defeats Zodiak with the Penance Stare before being defeated by a reborn Deacon, who is armed with a supernatural shotgun and a sword forged in Heaven, which is able to cut through anything and is invulnerable to the Ghost Rider's attacks. They steal the skull, leaving a wounded Johnny behind. Back at their headquarters, The Decay Theater, Deacon and Zodiak learn that The Curator commited suicide in order to protect the remaining skulls.

Johnny awakens at The Cabal's headquarters in Europe, where he is hypnotized so they can learn the location of the other skulls. Johnny learns of the Riders that came before him: The Ranger (Carter Slade), The Brute, The Duelist, The Saint, The Nomad and The Champion. Deacon and Zodiak already have the skulls of The Ranger, The Brute and The Duelist, and Johnny senses as Zodiak steals The Champion's as well. The only ones left are The Saint's and the Nomad's, which are buried together at the Sedlec Ossuary in Prague.

Johnny and Kate head there on train, where Kate tells Johnny she's not afraid of him and they have sex. Upon arriving at the Ossuary, Johnny realizes that all Riders have been betrayed by someone they loved. They rescue the skulls and head back home on train, when they're attacked by Deacon, Zodiak and Maddy. The Ghost Rider and Deacon fight, while Zodiak and Maddy kidnapp Katie and steal the skulls. When they're sealed away in Zodiak's enchanted canisters, Johnny loses his powers and is overpowered by Deacon, but escapes by jumping out of the moving train into the river below. Johnny then returns to The Cabal's headquarters and learns from them where Deacon and Zodiak are hidden: Spain.

There, Johnny confronts Deacon and manages to summon the Ghost Rider. Meanwhile, Zodiak uses samples of of the skulls and enchants a glass knot, allowing him to ressurrect the fallen Riders and force them to attack the Ghost Rider. However, Ghost Rider manages to overpower them and kill Maddy. Meanwhile, Kate escapes and uses Deacon's discarted shotgun to blow Zodiak's head off.

The Ghost Rider defeats Deacon and uses the Penance Stare to learn that Deacon was approached by Mephistopholes after Johnny accidentally killed him. Mephistopholes offered Deacon the power to destroy the Ghost Rider, and Deacon accepted. Suddenly, Mephistopholes appears and forces the Riders to hold Johnny while Deacon prepares cuts Johnny's head off with the blade. However, Johnny makes Deacon realized that Mephistopholes instructed Zodiak to spring the trap that led to Deacon's death, and Deacon betrays Mephistopholes by stabbing him with the sword. Meanwhile, Kate destroys the glass knot, releasing the Riders, who give their power to Johnny.

The Ghost Rider returns and uses his chain to tear Mephistopholes apart with the sword, destroying him at once. Finally released of Mephistopholes' curse and allowed to use the Ghost Rider for good without Mephistopholes' evil influence, Johnny reunites with Kate and they ride off into the sunset.

This is actually pretty good. Farmer and Lussier should direct Ghost Rider 3.

[Symbiotic]

I don't dig it. A script where Blaze's powers are only at half-assed strength the whole time? No thank you.

[Midnyte_Sun]

Really liked that script better than the revised Goyer one. The only thing that was weak was the ending. I would like to see Mephisto battle GR one on one without any mystical blade.

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

It sounds like a decent treatment but why do all of these people think they know better than the comics?

Use the comics there are some superb stories there to adapt into great movies, not making their own crap up. Jason Aaron's run or Road To Damnation would make amazing movies.

[Midnyte_Sun]

Exactly. I couldn't agree with you more man. But I'd go with something with some epic action. After this last movie, I doubt this movie will ever get another 115 Million dollar budget to burn.

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

^Nope, its a real shame, there are some great stories in the comics that would make amazing movies, why they feel the need to add their own stuff is beyond me.

[Midnyte_Sun]

Is it a legal issue? I noticed nobody (not even later writers) used any of the villains or supporting characters for Garth Ennis's Ghost Rider in Way or Aaron's run, and Rob Williams didn't use any of Jason Aaron's characters either. If the movie was made using characters they created, would they in essence, receive royalties? Have the "work for hire" rules changed?

[protocida]

It's a movie.

What works in the comics more often than not doesn't in a movie.

[Aztec]

This is actually pretty good. Farmer and Lussier should direct Ghost Rider 3.

You're assuming that there will be one...

[protocida]

There will be.

[CaptainCraig]

It's a shame Stan Lee never wrote some stories for Ghost Rider. I know he was more of the EIC at the time but stories written by Stan, or co-wrote, seem to be viewed as "musts" for adaptation.

Instead you get people using the GR character and just trying their own take on the concept, when as noted there are plenty of good-->great established characters and lore already in place. Just adapt those.

[Midnyte_Sun]

There will be.

37 Million international and domestic so far. I don't think it'll make back even it's budget.

[Snikt]

37 Million international and domestic so far. I don't think it'll make back even it's budget.

It's been out only six days. Let's give it a little more time before we say it won't make back it's budget

[protocida]

Not to mention Blu-ray and DVD sales. The movie is made for it, I'd say.

And even if it doesn't make money, someone, in the future, will do it again. They always do.

[CaptainCraig]

37 Million international and domestic so far. I don't think it'll make back even it's budget.
You realize it's budget is only $57m, right?
That is $20m more that you say it can't make back from both domestic AND international. :funny:

It's going to be at about $35-38m just domestic come Monday, about $50-53m worldwide.

It's highly likely that if Sony wants to they can do a third. This one will make a bottom line profit before it gets to secondary income streams.

[Midnyte_Sun]

Time will tell. I don't see any chance it will get another shot. I also don't think anybody will pay to see Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze again.

[protocida]

I will.

[Aztec]

I appreciate your glass half full mentality but when the dust clears and Sony realizes there's not a significant profit to be made here; the rights are going back to Marvel/Disney where they belong. It maybe a month, it may be a year, it may be 7 years (which I believe is the deadline); but the rights are going back.

That's a win for all.

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Is it a legal issue? I noticed nobody (not even later writers) used any of the villains or supporting characters for Garth Ennis's Ghost Rider in Way or Aaron's run, and Rob Williams didn't use any of Jason Aaron's characters either. If the movie was made using characters they created, would they in essence, receive royalties? Have the "work for hire" rules changed?

Possibly but Caleb from Trail Of Tears was mentioned in Aaron's run, also mentioned in Aaron's run was GR defeating The Devil, so it doesnt seem that way and I dont see any reason why the movies cant use these characters either.

[protocida]

I don't think it'll be a win, as I'm sure Marvel Studios won't do a movie about a guy that makes a deal with the Devil, especially now that Disney is helming everything.

Not to mention rights reverting means no Nicolas Cage. And that's a shame.

[CaptainCraig]

^^^
This.
Also, their stated plans are more movies related to Avengers and with Avengers characters. Basically mirroring the comics business model. Marvel Studios stated model for the next 5yrs minimum are Thor 2&3, Cap 2&3, SHIELD movie and/or Nick Fury film, Avengers sequel, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man, unnamed film.
I'd bet that unnamed film is either a Black Widow movie or another Avenger character like Luke Cage or Black Panther.

Disney gets Ghost Rider back you can forget about a new GR film for a very, very long time...if ever.

[Aztec]

I don't think it'll be a win, as I'm sure Marvel Studios won't do a movie about a guy that makes a deal with the Devil, especially now that Disney is helming everything.

Not to mention rights reverting means no Nicolas Cage. And that's a shame.

Disney owned (until 2010) Miramax which released the Halloween films, Hellraiser, and Kill Bill among others. Disney has no problem "going dark" whenever it suits them. The whole reason Disney bought Marvel was to win over the adolescent boy demographic. That means action, violence, and when necessary horror. You can get the whole "Mickey Mouse" notion out of your head when it comes to Disney. They are players in the wider film world.

You really think it's a shame to lose Nic Cage? Well I suppose that's your opinion.

Would you guys really rather see crappy Ghost Rider films over quality? Even if it takes a few more years to materialize?

[protocida]

Disney's objective is to create the Movieverse and released superhero movies in the most classic sense of the world. They downplayed the more fantastic elements of Thor in order to adequate it to their plan, and will be doing likewise with Doctor Strange. Do you really think that, all of sudden, they'll fit a demon bounty hunter that interacts with demons, sorcerers and the likes into it.

If the rights revert, we won't see Ghost Rider for a very long time, if ever.

And yes, Nic Cage is great. Hard not to enjoy the guy and his movies, including the two Ghost Rider outings that are very fun, B-movie style stories.

[Midnyte_Sun]

Would you guys really rather see crappy Ghost Rider films over quality? Even if it takes a few more years to materialize?

No. I'll take a movie that respects the character over one that totally turns him into an embarrassment to even acknowledge.

[Spider - Man]

I don't think it'll be a win, as I'm sure Marvel Studios won't do a movie about a guy that makes a deal with the Devil, especially now that Disney is helming everything.

Not to mention rights reverting means no Nicolas Cage. And that's a shame.
See'the devil and max devlin'

[S. Grundy]

1. Marvel Studios is a self contained entity, they're just like Pixar Disney lets them do their own thing for the most part.

2. The Disney doesn't want Marvel to go dark is unsubstantiated fanboy BS. If Marvel wants to do something with their more darker characters, they'll do them. They don't need to $100 million movies, nor should they and Marvel has said they want to go do smaller B/C-list characters after the Avengers. Also as bad as the PotC sequels were, they got pretty dark especially for a Disney movie. I mean the third one opened with a kid getting hanged, and if I remember correctly a Chinese prostitute getting shot in the head.

[DarkSovereignty]

It sounds like a decent treatment but why do all of these people think they know better than the comics?

Use the comics there are some superb stories there to adapt into great movies, not making their own crap up. Jason Aaron's run or Road To Damnation would make amazing movies.
because film makers are story tellers in their own right and might have their own stories with the character to tell. to me it's no different than another writer coming in and writing his own run, simply a change in medium.

[S. Grundy]

Exactly, plus there's always the old saying of what works on the page may not work on the screen.

[DarkSovereignty]

plus, comics are already a visual medium. if i want to see road to damnation...I'll get the comic.

[cryptic name]

I kinda liked this story. Would like to see how it would have evolved as it made it to the screen. Loved their idea with the concept Ducati becoming the new hellcycle.