Though Harmony Korine’s neon-soaked crime drama Spring Breakers was one of my favorite films of 2013, I was just as shocked and suspicious as anyone when producers Wild Bunch revealed that they were moving forward with a sequel to the cult favorite, titled Spring Breakers: The Second Coming. One immediate cause for alarm was that Korine, whose bold visual style and brilliantly story made Spring Breakers so fascinating, would not be involved.
Now, what I most feared when the project was announced has come to light. According to James Franco, who co-starred in Spring Breakers as the gonzo rapper/gangster Alien, Wild Bunch never even got Korine to give a sequel his blessing. Given Franco’s bizarre social media outbursts over the past few days, maybe it shouldn’t be surprising that the news came via an Instagram vid posted by the actor in character as Alien.
The caption for the video, which you can check out below, read:
ALIEN IN REHAB! And BTW F*** that SBers 2 BS, they’re doing it without HARMONY’s CONSENT. Sounds LAME AS A MUTHA!
It’s not that surprising that Wild Bunch wanted to make a sequel to Spring Breakers, which performed very well at the box office and has seen extremely strong numbers for its home release. However, it would have been courteous and respectful for them to reach out to Korine, the man entirely responsible for Spring Breakers‘ success to begin with.
Spring Breakers: The Second Coming hasn’t impressed with its story thus far – Korine’s witty touch is sorely lacking, and this sequel seems to be trying too hard to be edgy. Directed by Small Apartments helmer Jonas Akerlund and featuring a script by Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting, Filth), the film centers on a group of spring breakers battling an extreme militant Christian sect bent on converting them. Whether this sequel is a good idea or a horrible one remains to be seen, but the revelation that Korine never even gave his approval for a sequel is a definite step in the wrong direction for Spring Breakers: The Second Coming.