Moore Fires Up Fahrenheit Follow-Up
Michael Moore's got the mercury rising.
Appearing at Cannes, the Oscar winner unveiled plans to begin work on a sequel to 2004's blockbuster documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, sealing a deal with Paramount Vantage and Overture Films to cofinance and distribute the film.
The parties are tight-lipped about the specifics of Moore's new movie, only revealing that, unlike its predecessor, it won't be an attack on President George W. Bush but will instead examine America's status in the post-9/11 world.
The untitled doc is slated to open in spring 2009, well after the presidential election. Overture will release the film domestically, while Paramount Vantage will handle international distribution.
Debuting at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, Fahrenheit 9/11 won the Palme d'Or and then went on to gross $220 million worldwide, making it the biggest documentary ever.
Moore's latest exposé, Sicko, targeted the U.S. health-care system and raked in $24 million last year.
Michael Moore’s Next Movie is NOT a Fahrenheit 9/11 Sequel
When it was first announced that Paramount Vantage and Overture would be distributing Michael Moore’s next film, the press release stated that “the subject matter of the new film is being kept under wraps by all the principals.” I think where people got confused is the release also called the film “a searing and provocative follow up to his groundbreaking 2004 documentary Fahrenheit 9/11”. So everyone jumped on the story assuming it was the Fahrenheit 9/11 and 1/2 sequel that Moore mentioned in 2004. But Moore has stepped forward to clear the air:
“To just say it’s a sequel is so wrong,” Moore told The Associated Press. “It would be easier and safer to make a sequel, if that’s all it was, but this isn’t about Bush. We all know this. Regardless of who the president is come November, we have a big mess, a big, big mess to be cleaned up, and I don’t know whether it can be cleaned up. The toxicity of the spill may be so great that there’s nothing we can do about it. If that’s the case, where are we now as America and as Americans?”
Moore says that the documentary will go beyond Bush. The new film, due in 2009, will supposedly “examine America as an empire, study its standing since the Sept. 11 attacks and present revelations to surprise audiences as much as the first film did.”
“What I’m going to say in this film is what probably 70 percent of them (audiences) don’t want to hear,” Moore said.
But then comes this quote from chief executive officer of Overture Chris McGurk which confuses the matter further:
“The country has sort of been rotting from within, and the culprits are big business, big corporations, kind of the conservative government,” McGurk said. “`Bowling for Columbine,’ `Sicko,’ `Roger and Me’ all could have been episodes inside the context of this film.”
So wait, it’s about what? Is it a follow-up to Fahrenheit 9/11 or a followup to all of Moore’s films to date? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I was a little worried when they announced that a sequel was going forward. I’m a big fan of Moore’s work, but 9/11 was probably his least interesting documentary. And I’ll certainly be glad to see Moore leave Bush behind and do what he does best, tell a story. I’m just trying to figure out, what story will he tell this time?
Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 Sequel in 2009
Paramount Vantage and Overture Films have announced that they are co-financing and co-producing a sequel to Fahrenheit 9/11 with documentary filmmaker Michael Moore. Overture will distribute the film domestically, while Vantage will handle international. The big news is that Moore is leaving The Weinstein Co, which distributed his last two films. The yet-to-be-titled documentary will be released in mid-2009. Depending on what source you read, Moore is either already working on the documentary or will begin production immediately following Cannes. The completed film could feasibly premiere at next year’s Festival, if it isn’t released earlier.
Details are being kept tightly under wraps but Vantage topper Nick Meyer claims the movie has “global appeal”. All we know is the sequel will pick up where Fahrenheit left off. And while you might expect an “I Told You So type story of how Bush ruined the country, insiders expect the film to be much more than that.
Moore has made three of the top five grossing documentaries of all time and the original Fahrenheit is the highest grossing documentary ever domestically, earning $119.1 million and another $100 million internationally.
Michael Moore’s Sicko: Third Biggest Documentary of All Time
Congratulations to Michael Moore, whose movie Sicko has just become the third biggest documentary of all time, surpassing Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. Check out the press release after the jump.
Michael Moore’s ‘SiCKO’ Becomes the Third Highest Grossing Documentary of All Time Surpassing ‘An Inconvenient Truth’
NEW YORK, Sept. 9 — “SiCKO,” Michael Moore’s highly
acclaimed and entertaining expose of the American health care system, has
just become the third highest grossing documentary of all time grossing
$24.2 million domestically since it debuted in theaters on June 29th.
“SiCKO,” one of the most talked about films of the year, moved into third
place taking the spot of previous record holder “An Inconvenient Truth” and
behind Moore’s previous film “Fahrenheit 9/11″ and “March of the Penguins.”
The announcement was made today by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, co-chairmen of
The Weinstein Company.
Harvey Weinstein stated, “It’s an incredible achievement for ‘SiCKO’ to
have become the third highest grossing film in the history of
documentaries. We are going to keep the movie in theaters and plan to
re-release it during the Fall so that audiences continue to have a chance
to experience this entertaining and profound documentary.”
“SiCKO” has been playing in theaters nationwide for over nine weeks and
had the second highest opening weekend of all time for a documentary.
“SiCKO” is written, directed and produced by Michael Moore. The film is
produced by Meghan O’Hara and co-produced by Anne Moore. Kathleen Glynn.
Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein serve as executive producers. “SiCKO”
was fully financed by The Weinstein Company and is being distributed in US
theaters and on pay television in the US by Lionsgate Films.
ABOUT “SiCKO”
If you want to stay healthy in America, don’t get sick.
Following on the heels of his award winning hit “Fahrenheit 9/11″ and
his Oscar(R) winning film “Bowling for Columbine,” acclaimed filmmaker
Michael Moore’s new documentary sets out to investigate the American
healthcare system. Sticking to his tried-and-true one-man approach, Moore
sheds light on the complicated medical affairs of individuals and local
communities. “SiCKO” promises to be every bit as indicting as Moore’s
previous films. For more information, go to: http://www.sicko-themovie.com