Brilliant adaptation of a dark novel by James Ellroy, “LA Confidential” by Curtis Hanson and released in 1997, is one of the major films of the 90s. A sequel was considered, with the same cast, but Warner vetoed it. ..
Brilliant adaptation of the homonymous novel signed by the great author James Ellroy in 1990, LA Confidential was one of the major films out of the Hollywood stables in the 90s.
Signed by the late Curtis Hanson and scripted by Brian Helgeland, this black and sticky thriller, where crooked, incorruptible cops, mafiosos, prostitutes, seedy little informants and vicious journalists meet in the City of Fallen Angels was carried by a fabulous cast at the unison: Kevin Spacey, James Cromwell, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, David Strathairn, or even Danny DeVito, to name just a handful of names. The film was also crowned with two Oscars, including Best Supporting Actress for Basinger.
Released in 1997, it grossed just over $126 million at the worldwide Box Office. In France, it was unfortunately not a triumph in theaters: barely less than 590,000 spectators… A sacred injustice, which time has fortunately taken care of repairing: LA Confidential remains to this day the best adaptation ever made of the universe of James Ellroy.
In July 2021, when the film was celebrating the 25th anniversary of its release (and yes, already…), screenwriter Brian Helgeland delivered in an interview with the site theringer.com an interesting anecdote… And very frustrating for once.
A sequel killed by Warner
He indeed reveals that a sequel almost saw the light of day years later, but that Warner vetoed it. “A few years ago, Oscar-winning filmmaker Brian Helgeland went to see Warner Bros. with what sounded like the pitch for a dynamite movie: an LA Confidential sequel.
Helgeland had already assembled a top-notch cast, including the stars of the first opus: Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce, alongside Chadwick Boseman, who was to play a young policeman. He had developed a new story with James Ellroy, the novelist who penned the original book. A sequel that was supposed to take place in the mid-1970s.” tells the site.
Unfortunately, Helgeland does not really explain the reason for Warner’s refusal to start this sequel. Still, this is the second time that the Major has come up with a new project around the universe of LA Confidential. In 2018-2019, an attempt at a TV series derived from the film saw the light of day, with even the filming of a pilot.
Mark Webber and Brian J. Smith were to take on the roles of Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce respectively in the film, and they were joined by Walton Goggins (who reprized the role held by Kevin Spacey), Dominic Burgess, Sarah Jones, Shea Whigham, Tony Curran, Devon Graye and Drew Powell. But Warner ultimately killed the project.