Though I personally was not impressed with the teaser trailer for REAL STEEL, it doesn’t surprise me that the movie holds some serious appeal for the mass audience. You’ve got an underdog story, but starring Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots. And Hugh Jackman. With Steven Spielberg on as executive producer and Shawn Levy directing (say what you want about the quality of his films – like NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM and THE PINK PANTHER – they make lots of dough), it’s not a stretch to image the movie will do quite well when it’s released this October.
Dreamworks is certainly betting on it; if Deadline.com is to be believed (and their track-record is damn good), the studio is already getting to work on REAL STEEL 2. Evidently spurred on by very positive reponses to test screenings and the CinemaCon presentation of footage in Las Vegas, Dreamworks has apparently hired Jon Gatins – screenwriter on the first film – to commence writing the second installment. No story details are available just yet, but I’m guessing there will be more crunching metal while Jackman stands by ringside. (Maybe they’ll move from boxing to MMA fighting?)
Meanwhile, the first REAL STEEL comes out on OCTOBER 7th. It follows Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.