MovieChat Forums > Warlock (1991) Discussion > Should there be a sequel to Warlock?

Should there be a sequel to Warlock?

posted 12 years ago by phillise
28 replies | jump to latest

I mean a sequel to the original Warlcok movie. Yes, I know there were two official sequels (or semi-sequels), but neither was a diect follow-up to the orignal. I'm talking a sequel tied directly to original, where we KNOW it's the same Warlock, preferably with Kassandra and Redfern as the heroes.

I mentioned this once to Ray Tate and he said he thought that Warlock should be a one-shot becuase it has a fairly definitve conclusion, but wouldn't seeing Redfern and Kassandra up against other supernatural evildoers.

I don't know about that, but a sequel stick to Puritan folkloric format of the original (the actual followups didn't do this), at least in my opinion. The first movie had the nails, salt, flying potion, soured cream witch compass--what's left for a follow-up movie?

It might go something like this: Redfern returns to his own time, and finds that he has been accused of witchcraft himself.

[–] dlamontjenkins 12 years ago

A prequel would be interesting...

I didn't know there were TWO sequels. The second one was such a joke I was surprised it wasn't straight to video, so I could only imagine what they pulled with Warlock 3.

[–] phillise 12 years ago

Nobody likes the third one, which was direct to video and substituted Bruce Pane for Julian Sands.

The author Ray Garton did have some of the backstory to Warlock in his novelization (which I've not read.)

My idea for a sequal might start with Redfern retrunig to his own time, the discovering he's been falsly accused of witchcraft..maybe the Warlock has returned, but he's back in Redfern's time and is someow behind it. Or maybe the Warlock returns to the twentieth centry, but needs to get the grand grimoire out of that salt pit...

[–] Contessa_de_la_Verny 12 years ago

I would have loved to have seen a prequel to the original Warlock movie, showing the Warlock's exploits back in 1691 before Redferne caught him. Though I think the time for that has come and gone, unfortunately. I'm not sure i'd want to see it if it didn't have Julian Sands and Richard E. Grant in their title roles respectively. And I agree, the other two Warlock movies were crap! Not even sequels really....more like *beep* reboots. Nothing can compare to the awesomeness of the first and original movie It also would've been awesome to have seen Lori Singer in it as well playing Marian Redferne; since it was implied in the movie that Kassandra resembled Referne's dead wife.

~I think so Brain, but who would want a pierced Brosnan?~

[–] bladou20 12 years ago

After Warlock was unexpectedly successful their were talks of a prequel. Unfortunately the time for that had already passed in 1991 as Warlock should have been released in 1989. I doubt you will see much from the Warlock franchise in the next 10 years other than a remake.

[–] phillise 12 years ago

So, is anyone for a remake?

[–] Contessa_de_la_Verny 12 years ago

No! So sick of Hollywood thinking that they have to remake every damn film ever made. Especially when the original was perfect the way it was!

~I think so Brain, but who would want a pierced Brosnan?~

[–] dlamontjenkins 12 years ago

Oh wait I DO remember that. I once saw it on the shelf and kept it there! If Julian Sands was smart enough not to be in it, I was going to be smart enough not to rent it.

[–] hoosiergirl (209) 3 years ago

Back in the day when this movie was out, I always thought a prequel would have been good with the whole story about how Warlock killed Redferne's wife.

[–] phillise 12 years ago

I just read another forum about Richard Grant, where it was mentioned that originally there WAS to have been a sequal to the original Warlock that sounds better than what actually got made. In it, Lorri Singer was to travel to Rredfern's time where they were to fight a different Warlock. But it didn't happen because Trimark went broke.

BTW, it's not ever made clear whether the Warlocks in the sequels are the same or different. There was a comic book based on Warlock a couple years back, and I read that it was suppedly connected with the original, but it was also a different Warlock, becuase for some legal reason they couldn't use Julian Sands' likeness.

[–] bladou20 12 years ago

The movies do not make it clear, but the articles I have read do. The second Warlock film is a reboot. The moment the Warlock learned God's name, the possibility of a sequel disappears.
I had never heard Richard E Grant was approached for a sequel. The interviews I have read with him and Julian make it seem like they would have both been up for it. Originally there was some discussion about having Lori Singer return, but that was it. They did not even bother to ask David Twohy for help with the script.
As the OP mentioned, Warlock is a self contained story that say's everything it is trying to say. The executives at Trimark could not come up with an original way to resurrect the Warlock so they just decided to start over.

[–] Dream_Demon 11 years ago

I do think that there should indeed be a sequel, with either one of these premises:

A. The Warlock has an identical twin who wants revenge on Redferne after hearing what happened to his brother many years ago. He would do this in number of ways, such as cleverly making Redferne look like he's a witch and frame him for witchcraft, along with tormenting him with horrible visions and dreams. Realizing he is being framed and bewitched, Redferne seeks to find out who is tormenting him and put a stop to his tormentor. This will take place entirely in the 1600's, so Kassandra does not appear at all.

B. The Warlock is accidentally resurrected (and aged in the process) by a group of Satanist wannabes at the Boston graveyard that the Warlock died in. He kills the wannabes, steals the clothes of one of their members, and utters God's name in reverse. However, nothing happens. Using another medium to contact his "father" Samael, he finds out that he needs to utter God's name in reverse while in the presence of The Grand Grimoire, and that is still laying in the Bonneville Salt Flats, which the Warlock can't walk upon without harm. So the Warlock, looking for both a means to achieve his goal and for personal revenge, goes after Kassandra and her family in order to force her to retrieve the book. Meanwhile, a prophecy has been foretold of the Warlock's resurrection since Redferne returned to the 1600's, and thus Redferne's descendants (who are witch hunters like their ancestor) track down Kassandra and get to her before the Warlock does and wrecks havoc on her and her family.

Welcome to my Nightmare- Freddy Krueger

[–] AndrewBarclayUK 11 years ago

im confused now, so Warlock: The Armageddon isn't a squeal ?

[–] eggamus 11 years ago

Its a sequel in title only. The Warlock in Armageddon is a differant warlock who just happens to look like Julian Sands as well

[–] bladou20 11 years ago

B sounds like something the studio was trying to do when they released the second one. Kassandra was a possibility to them, but Redferne was not. The idea is reminiscent of something from Friday the 13th and would probably have made for a better movie . As it turns out they could not come up with anything better and decided to reboot the franchise.

[–] phillise 10 years ago

I was just thinking: just why was there never a true sequel to Warlock? It seems a bit strange since there are sequels to nearly everything. I've read that they just couldn't find a convincing way to bring the Warlock back, so they opted for a re-boot instead. I'm not sure that I buy that. The above poster's idea to bring him back sounds convincing enough to me, and other movie villains in horror return ad infinitum, sometimes in very cheesy ways.

[–] bladou20 10 years ago

My thoughts;

Steve Miner doesn't really care for this movie. So no original director.

Richard E Grant doesn't like his portrayal in the film, likening it to a cheap Sean Connery, who the producers originally wanted. So no Redferne.

Twohy wasn't even approached. So no original writer.

The "sequel" was produced by Trimark pictures, who were willing to invest far less in the film. Probably further decreasing the chances of anyone returning except Sands.

The way they brought the Warlock back was plenty cheesy though. As it stands, most people just accept it as is.

[–] phillise 10 years ago

Hmmmm...that leads to more questions.

Why doesn't Steve Minor care for the movie?--just curious here.

If Sean Connery had played Redfern, maybe it would have been even better--who knows?

Twohy wasn't even approached? Why not? He should have been the first guy they talked to. Some have referred to the Warlock as "the character created by Julian Sands." Wrong. Twohy created the character, and the whole story. He'd really be the only one to write the script, since he created the characters. He knows them. But he may not have much interest in Warlock, now that he's gone on to other things. I read a review of the movie recently in which the reviewer opined that he would be all for a remake of Warlock IF Twohy were doing the script. I don't know about a remake, but he would be the one, in my opinion, to write the sequel.

[–] bladou20 10 years ago

I don't know the exact reasons why Miner does not care for the film, but I read an interview with him where he basically said that he will own Warlock's failings. That he thought the opening sequence was well done, but that it was all down hill from there.
Now keep in mind that the film sat on the shelf for three years while he was unsure of it's fate.
He probably argued with the producers who would only give him a certain amount of money for the effects shots. Another effects company was going to work on it but was cut to save money. The final result of that is onscreen.
He probably argued with Loris Singer on the set since it's been said she was difficult to work with.
To top it off, he does not like Horror movie's.

If Sean Connery had been in Warlock, it would have opened on it's original release date in every theater in the country. It would also have had a sequel.

I'm not certain as to why Twohy was never approached. I believe they did approach Miner though. He had gone on to other things is what was said, though I wouldn't be surprised if he just refused altogether.

[–] phillise 10 years ago

Miner doesn't like horror? I though he did at least one of the Friday the Thirteenth movies.

[–] bladou20 10 years ago

He did two actually. I recall his quote was something like " I always said I like horror, but no, I really didn't." This was for the Fangoria issue previewing Warlock when the interviewer reminded him exactly what you said. Warlock reminded him of painful torture.
From everything I've read, I believe Miner was the one who ultimately delayed Warlock's release. At one point the film was going to open earlier. Then Miner decided to re shot the Medium scene, which delayed production long enough for New World to finally die.

[–] VinnieRattolle 9 years ago

Miner's quote from the Fangoria interview:

"I always say in interviews, 'Yeah, I loved horror movies as a kid' and stuff, but no, I never really did. I'm not one of the children of Forry Ackerman."

As for the reshoot, I wouldn't blame Miner for that. There were numerous articles written at the time which stated that the test audience was overwhelming in their dislike of the medium's nipple-eyes and gruesome death sequence. Certainly not the first or last time a hoopla's been caused over a test screening, compromising the integrity of a film.

Miner was also battling the studio over a budget that started at $15 million but it sounds like it dwindled as production rolled along - which isn't surprising since New World was at a point where they were going down like the Titanic.

[–] bladou20 9 years ago

Yep, that's the magazine. I thought I had all of the magazines covering Warlock, but based on some of the information you have, I might be wrong. Other than the Starlog article, what other magazines detailed the test screening reactions?

[–] Belnick 10 years ago

julian sands is an A acter now, not sure he want to go back doing b movies ?

would be cool to see him back :D

[–] leyenda61 9 years ago

Haven't seen the sequels. Sounds like Part 3 was garbage. I'll have to read up on apart II.

-- Sent from my 13 year old P.O.S. Desktop®

[–] JudgeNotLestYeBeJudgeReinhold 8 years ago

I've loved this movie since I was a kid, and I just rewatched it and was thinking a remake could be pretty cool, but only if it was done right, and done big... Peter Jackson directs, Michael Fassbender as the Warlock, Amanda Seyfried as Kassandra, and either James McAvoy, Sam Worthington, or maaaybe... Jonathan Rhys Meyers(?) as Redferne. Let me know what you guys think!

[–] bladou20 8 years ago

Not bad choices. I would rather see Chris Hemsworth as Redferne and Tom Hiddleston or James Purefoy. Purefoy in particular would be a good choice as he closely fits the description Twohy gave in his original screenplay. The Warlock is sinewy and lean with shiny black hair. After seeing him in Solomon Kane, I was convinced he would be a good choice. Hiddleston would also work.

[–] averymor 8 years ago

Funny that, I just caught it on cable and is still a favorite. As I watched the dated style I kept thinking this should be remade for NOW starting with the Grand Grimmy being discovered in the salt flats somehow and the Kassandra character reprising her role as a result. She'd be in the ball park age wise as the first stage age hex The Warlock cast on her.

Throw in a Redfern ancestor.

Plenty of material to work with considering all the big witch and magic movies that have come about since.

"Only a numbskull thinks he knows things about things he knows nothing about."

[–] sneezer (166) 6 years ago

I did enjoy both Warlock sequels. The second and third movies showed the Warlock with a nastier, more sinister side. Bruce Payne seemed diabolical compared to Julian Sands' portrayal. I love your idea, where they might do a sequel to the original movie, where Redferne (Richard E. Grant) and Kassandra with a K (Lori Singer) reprise their roles. I also love your idea for the sequel, which leads me to ask this question. HOW did the witch finder, Redferne, travel to the future? .