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When Elektra director Rob Bowman considers where he would like to take a sequel, the words "all-out action," "ass-kickin'" and "R-rated" come to mind. If one is to truly convey the deadliness of Frank Miller's creation, Elektra: the assassin, then breaking from the creative confines of a PG-13 rating is the first step. After that, the question is: will Marvel Comics and Twentieth Century Fox take the chance and produce a more faithful appraisal of the nature of Elektra? Would they allow a more violent sequel? "I don't know if it will happen. It's up to them to decide," says Bowman to IGN FilmForce. "I think they would at least listen to it."
Bowman says his experience with the MPAA in crafting Elektra left him feeling a bit picked-on. "I felt like it was almost like I was making a G-rated movie." He does, however, feel much better these days. That's because his new version of the movie, Elektra: The Director's Cut (out tomorrow on DVD), has everything they told him to take out. Had it been released to theaters, it would be R-rated. And that, says Bowman, is where Elektra must be, especially a sequel.
"Because, really, she's an R-rated character. I mean, it's even worse in some of the comic books. The shelves are stacked with very, very aggressive, very sexy Elektra comic books. It is what it is. It's like, sex and murder, that's her thing."
Elektra, the movie, was a variation on a theme, where she becomes compassionate and saves a young girl. "That was the mission," says Bowman. "It's so much about the relationship between Elektra and the little girl, and Stick trying to expose Elektra to feelings from her past, before she became enraged. It's like an awakening." Trying to explain this to the MPAA was when Bowman started considering ideas for a sequel. He asked himself what he would do differently next time, and what he would prefer to see as a moviegoer.
"I would say, give me the full spectrum of it. The first one is a reconstruction. But the second one? No, no, no! Go back and say, this is one of the darkest, most capable assassins in the world, or in the comic book world."
The sequel would pick up at the very end of Elektra, where she exits the house. She's changed a girl's life for the better, and has learned to be more compassionate. However, "That's no different than actually just stepping out of rehab. It's no different than coming out of the hospital with a cast on your arm."
Considering Elektra's fragile psychological state at the end of the movie, Bowman says he would like to see her carry on with a new understanding of herself, and apply it to her next assignment. "She goes on a hit. She makes the hit, but it's built-in with a fatal flaw which is: innocent people die at hands of Elektra. Except, she didn't know they were innocent people. It's a scheme by The Hand to tear her apart and turn her towards the dark side, and bring them back to her once and for all. And then you have an hour and a half of Elektra struggling with 'What is compassion about?' And meanwhile, it's an all-out action, ass-kicking, R-rated movie! I mean, that's what you do. You would basically let Jennifer deal with rage and vengeance and revenge in the whole movie. That's what she really is."
Key to making Electra 2 is, of course, the participation of star Jennifer Garner. The notion of making it without her is something Bowman doesn't want to think about. The only condition by which he would make the movie with another actress is: if he had Garner's heartfelt approval. "If she said to me, 'Go with God and all my blessings,' then I would make it, because there's a lot more story to tell there."
And what would Frank Miller have to say about an Elektra sequel? "Probably 'Stay closer to the comic book.' And I would say, 'I will, Frank, as long as they let me make an R-rated version of it.' Because that's what it should be."
Bowman says his experience with the MPAA in crafting Elektra left him feeling a bit picked-on. "I felt like it was almost like I was making a G-rated movie." He does, however, feel much better these days. That's because his new version of the movie, Elektra: The Director's Cut (out tomorrow on DVD), has everything they told him to take out. Had it been released to theaters, it would be R-rated. And that, says Bowman, is where Elektra must be, especially a sequel.
"Because, really, she's an R-rated character. I mean, it's even worse in some of the comic books. The shelves are stacked with very, very aggressive, very sexy Elektra comic books. It is what it is. It's like, sex and murder, that's her thing."
Elektra, the movie, was a variation on a theme, where she becomes compassionate and saves a young girl. "That was the mission," says Bowman. "It's so much about the relationship between Elektra and the little girl, and Stick trying to expose Elektra to feelings from her past, before she became enraged. It's like an awakening." Trying to explain this to the MPAA was when Bowman started considering ideas for a sequel. He asked himself what he would do differently next time, and what he would prefer to see as a moviegoer.
"I would say, give me the full spectrum of it. The first one is a reconstruction. But the second one? No, no, no! Go back and say, this is one of the darkest, most capable assassins in the world, or in the comic book world."
The sequel would pick up at the very end of Elektra, where she exits the house. She's changed a girl's life for the better, and has learned to be more compassionate. However, "That's no different than actually just stepping out of rehab. It's no different than coming out of the hospital with a cast on your arm."
Considering Elektra's fragile psychological state at the end of the movie, Bowman says he would like to see her carry on with a new understanding of herself, and apply it to her next assignment. "She goes on a hit. She makes the hit, but it's built-in with a fatal flaw which is: innocent people die at hands of Elektra. Except, she didn't know they were innocent people. It's a scheme by The Hand to tear her apart and turn her towards the dark side, and bring them back to her once and for all. And then you have an hour and a half of Elektra struggling with 'What is compassion about?' And meanwhile, it's an all-out action, ass-kicking, R-rated movie! I mean, that's what you do. You would basically let Jennifer deal with rage and vengeance and revenge in the whole movie. That's what she really is."
Key to making Electra 2 is, of course, the participation of star Jennifer Garner. The notion of making it without her is something Bowman doesn't want to think about. The only condition by which he would make the movie with another actress is: if he had Garner's heartfelt approval. "If she said to me, 'Go with God and all my blessings,' then I would make it, because there's a lot more story to tell there."
And what would Frank Miller have to say about an Elektra sequel? "Probably 'Stay closer to the comic book.' And I would say, 'I will, Frank, as long as they let me make an R-rated version of it.' Because that's what it should be."