WhenAntoine Fuqua’s “assault on the White House” movieOlympus Has FallenintroducedGerard Butleras hard-luck Secret Service Agent Mike Banning, moviegoers who checked it out were treated to a fun if farfetched action movie in which Butler and Commander-in-ChiefAaron Eckhartemerged as heroes. Then, the unasked-for sequelLondon Has Fallen, this time overseen by directorBabak Najafi, took Banning to the title city to protect world leaders from an assassination attempt. The sequel failed to capture the charm of the first film, but since its box office take neared $200 million, another film in the franchise was all but inevitable.
So it’s with a heavy sigh that I report a third film,Angel Has Fallen, will once again feature Butler as Banning.Deadlinereports that the Millennium Films picture will see Banning as the target this time around, a distinction earned by his repeated attempts to foil the bad guys' plans in two straight movies. And while the title might be a little confusing, it should go a long way towards explaining the plot to learn that “Angel” is the code name for Air Force One. Yes, the President will be in peril once more, as will the entirety of Washington D.C. … again.
Franchise creatorsCreighton RothenbergerandKatrin Benediktwill write the script; no director has been set just yet. Butler will produce along withAlan Siegel,Mark Gill,John ThompsonandMatt O’Toole;Avi Lerner,Trevor ShortandChristine Otalare executive producers.
The previous installments of theFallenfranchise have had mid-range budgets–around $60 to $70 million–and have returned between $160 and $200 million. Of course this third movie is going to get picked up. It’s just a matter of time until we know who else besides Butler will be returning/starring. Millennium is targeting a production start in the first half of 2017 so expect more news sooner than later.
Are you excited for another thing that has fallen? Let us know in the comments below!
