Now this is intriguing. Variety, via Cinematical, reports that Peter Morgan is writing a sequel to "The Queen," one of my favorite movies of the past year. Michael Sheen is once again expected to play the part of British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
I saw Morgan's play "Frost/Nixon" on Broadway in April. It was an interesting portrait of the two men, one trying to salvage his career and the other, his reputation. While Frank Langella's Tony-winning performance as Richard Nixon garnered most of the attention, I was more intrigued by Sheen's David Frost, the down-on-his-luck talk-show host. So I'm excited about seeing him once again play Tony Blair.
I liked "Frost/Nixon," which Ron Howard is making into a movie with Sheen and Langella. But I actually enjoyed "The Queen" more. Morgan's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and the British people at the time of Princess Diana's death seemed to me a richer and more complex piece of writing.
The article says that the new movie will explore Blair's relationship with Presidents Clinton and Bush, focusing "on Blair's reaction to the handover of power between Clinton, a natural liberal ally, and Bush, who came from the other end of the political spectrum."
There's no word yet on whether Helen Mirren will make a return appearance as Queen Elizabeth II.
2 comments:
While I ordinarily dread sequels, the premise here has me intrigued. Would they call this "The Prime Minister"?
I agree with you on the superior nature of "The Queen" over Frost/Nixon. But I guess we have to hand it to Peter Morgan for keeping recent history alive and fresh.
I should have mentioned that Peter Morgan also wrote a 2003 movie for British television called "The Deal," which also featured Michael Sheen as Tony Blair. So this will end up being a trilogy. And given the affinity for short titles, your suggestion is a great one!
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