Can Nicholas Cage play the same character again without messing up his trademark? Can Jerry Bruckheimer make a sequel? Will Alcatraz still be standing? It'll all be answered in "Rock 2". But what happens in a sequel to The Rock? Goodspeed has to stop some psycho from floating Alcatraz away? Or maybe he's got to stop someone from exploding Alcatraz, sending flying pieces of rock toward San Francisco. Whatever the cause, a new fresh and exciting plot was pretty hard to come up with, because how can you make a sequel without ripping-off numero uno? And besides, the title is "Rock 2". They could have made it a spin-off, or maybe with entirely different characters. But they've decided to make it with the same characters but with a new plot...and things may be looking up for this much-eagerly awaited project in development hell. Action producer Jerry Bruckheimer promised something "unique to bring Nick and Sean back" to Alcatraz. In The Rock 2, set to open in a hopeful Summer 1999 release, continues the story of Mason and Goodspeed's further escapades. According to an early draft, Goodspeed's on the run from the FBI because of the microfilm he recovered at the end of the first flick. A secret government needs it too, so they send out a mercenary team to track him down and use any means necessary to capture the microfilm which has all of the U.S. government's darkest secrets. Goodspeed meets up with Mason and they both form a plan to get out of the hole they're in. But there's another nook in this cranny: one of the men inside the mercenary team works for a corrupt British spy government and he needs the microfilm to bring back to Britain...and since he's a British spy, he knows every spy trick in the book...meaning that he's always one step ahead of Mason's game. Has Mason met his match? Probably. The British spy has kidnapped Jade (Mason's daughter), and he's also nabbed Goodspeed's wife and newborn child. In what may be a show-stopping climax, he brings them to Alcatraz and holds them hostage in return for the microfilm. Goodspeed and Mason find that they're in no strange waters as they head back to Alcatraz and form a plan to get rid of the British spy and get back their loved ones. There you have it. An original story for a sequel with the same exciting stuff of the THE ROCK.
So what are the goodies we can expect in Rock 2? Rumors are abound that they may have flashbacks of Mason in his James Bond-ish days...when he was a spy working for Britain. Also rumor has it that an earthquake will hit San Francisco in the climax. Rumors also say that Michael Ironside may be the enemy. But what will replace the dramatic San Francisco car chase from the original? Only time, and the screenwriter's re-writes shall tell Word 'round Tinsletown says that Jonathan Hensleigh is ready to do some re-writes. If Touchstone and Bruckheimer Pictures can find some time in Nicholas Cage's and Sean Connery's schedule....we may all be able to ROCK the final summer of the first millenium away. Although it may sound like all-out action, director Michael Bay stressed that he wanted to make Rock 2 a thriller, which may (whoever you are) disappoint meaty die-hard action fans of THE ROCK. With other big budget summer action flicks coming out next summer, such as Twister 2, Mission Impossible 2, Superman Lives (also starring Cage), HULK (written and directed by Jonathan Hensliegh) Men In Black 2 and Ghostbusters 3, will Rock 2 be lost in the crowds? Only Jerry Bruckheimer's golden touch (and Nicholas Cage's busy schedule) will tell. Anyone have any ideas for Rock 3?
