Did anyone really think thatWall Streetneeded a sequel? Those who did were treated to 2010’sWall Street: Money Never Sleeps, one of the oddest sequels in recent memory, and one with a trashy production that was far more shocking than the film itself. It’s been an increasingly popular trend in the last decade of the film industry to launch franchise“legacy sequels”that bring back original cast members of classic films to mentor a new generation of heroes.Harrison FordandMark Hamillreturned to the newStar Warstrilogy,Tom Cruisereturned toTop Gun: Maverick,Jamie Lee Curtisreturned to theHalloweenfranchise, andLinda Hamiltonreprised her iconic role forTerminator: Dark Fate. These were franchises that fans had been begging to see continue in order to wrap up loose plot points, but it made less sense for other filmsto launch a heavily-delayed sequel.
Oliver Stone’s 1987 masterpieceWall Streetis considered to be a modern classic, and one of the most astute examinations of financial corruption ever put on film.Michael Douglaswon the Academy Award for Best Actor for his stunning performance as Gordon Gekko, a character whose “greed is good” speech has gone down as one of the great cinematic monologues. While the film ends on a bleak, open-ended note, development on a sequel began in the early 21st century with the intention of bringing back Stone to direct. The story was set to tackle Gekko’s release from prison, which just so happened to coincide with the recent 2008 financial crisis.
Based on theinitial marketing materials, it definitely seemed like something was odd about the project. Gekko had never been a likable character, yetWall Street: Money Never Sleepsseemed to be painting him in a far more sympathetic light. An older Gekko, now attempting to launch a new business venture and market his book, returns to reconnect with his daughter Winnie (Carey Mulligan) and mentor her fiancé Jake Moore (Shia Labeouf) as his new protégé. This odd family of sorts must contend with an even crueler business tycoon in the form of Bretton James (Josh Brolin), the head of the firm Churchill Schwartz whose treatment of his employees has induced controversy. How did this baffling sequel ever make it to theaters? The film’s origins can be traced back to one of the oddest production cycles in recent Hollywood memory.
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The Strange Origins of ‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps’
While the originalWall Streetwas a modest success at the time of its release, it came amidst Stone’s legendary run of hits in the late 1980s and 1990s that includedSalvador, Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, JFK,andThe Door. It didn’t take too long for the film’s storyline and themes to become part of popular culture history, and Gordon Gekko would become listed as the 24th greatest film villain of all-time by the American Film Institute. A 20th anniversary re-release with added deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes cast interviews fueled interest in how the film’s themes regarding corporate corruption had become far-too relevant in the 21st century; this is also when rumors started flying around about a potential sequel.
In 2008,theNew York Timesreportedthat a sequel toWall Streetwas already in development with a screenplay byAllan Loeb. Shortly thereafter, 20th Century Foxofficially committed to the project,as Douglas had expressed his interest in reprising the role. However, issues soon began to emerge; Stone had yet to sign on to direct, the script was given a “page one rewrite” by screenwriter Allen Loeb(whose credits include crowd pleasers like21andThe Switch), and it appeared that bothCharlie SheenandDaryl Hannahwould not be involved whatsoever.
TheWall Streetsequel seemed doomed to stay in development hell until Stoneofficially signed onto direct in 2009; although reports indicated that he had been pressured into returning by Douglas, Stonestated that he felt compelledto take over the film in response to the 2008 financial crisis. Stone had been energized by anew draft of the script, which focused on the all-time unemployment rate and cast Winnie and Jake as idealists amidst a cynical world.
Research and Filming of ‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps’
Similar to its predecessor,Wall Street: Money Never Sleepswas intended to be a highly realistic portrayal of the stock market. to capture the authenticity of the material, both Labeouf and Stonehad multiple meetingswith real hedge fund managers, including ImClone Systems founder Samuel D. Waksal, who had been imprisoned for five years for securities fraud. Many of the characters in the film were based on real figures that had dominated recent headlines;Donald Trumpeven appeared in a deleted scene that Stonecut shortly before its release.
Filming is where things got even more unusual. Rewrites continued to be done as the film’s starting date was pushed back several times; locations such as the New York Stock Exchange that had played a pivotal role in the first film had to be replaced with a larger emphasis on the Federal Reserve Building. The shoot was difficult for the cast as well; Douglashad been distresseddue to his son’s legal issues, Mulligan had to shoot all of her scenes in two weeks, and it was reported thatSheen had trouble rememberinghis lines when he eventually did make a brief cameo appearance.
‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps’ Release and Legacy
The originalWall Streethad been treated as a major event and prominent awards contender, andWall Street: Money Never Sleepsat least tried to capture that same momentum. Despite screening out of competition at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival and an awards-friendly fall release date, the film received mixed reviews and emerged from “Oscar season” with only Douglas receiving a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Ironically, the film was a financial success, so it seemed like the “investment” had been worth it.
Unfortunately,Wall Street: Money Never Sleepsstarted Stone down a downward spiral in which his projects seemed to be more controversial and less successful, despite the merit of films likeSavagesandSnowden.Wall Street: Money Never Sleepsremains an oddity; it’s a film that no one really asked for, and despite the initial fanfare it promised, no one seems to remember it either.
