In an interview with Screen Daily, who broke the story, Wild Bunch producer Vincent Maraval stated that they are ready to produce a sequel to last year’s Harmony Korine-directed vacation film Spring Breakers. The previous film made $31 million ($14.1 domestically) on a $5 million dollar budget. Spring Breakers followed a group of young ladies who rob a bank and use the money for a spring break outing all to escape the doldrums of their existence. Upon getting there they’re swept up in a blur of sex, drugs, guns, and money.
Wild Bunch has selected Irvine Welsh is set to scribble the script. Welsh is known for his work writing the book that the 1996 Danny Boyle film Trainspotting was based on; he also wrote the source material for this year’s James McAvoy vehicle Filth, due in theaters at the end of the month. Welsh’s history as a screenwriter resides solely in small indies, so it’ll be interesting to see how he does with something with a (little) bit more scope (although Wild Bunch has yet to announce release plans; we wouldn’t be entirely shocked to see this go the Mean Girls 2 route. Yes, there was a second one.)
Spun director Jonas Ackerlund is attached to direct, and if his previous work is any indication the visuals will be delightful and the music will be incredible. If you will recall, Spun featured Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan as a doctor, and Corgan also wrote quite a few of the songs in the film. Given Ackerlund’s history with music videos, including two for Corgan that were included in a collection of videos from 1991-2000, it will be a fun thing to see where the music goes. Music was a strong point for the first Spring Breakers as well.
The initial synopsis states that the film will see a new group of spring break partygoers face off against a group of militant evangelical Christians trying to convert them. The film will mix new actors with some of the original cast; however, it doesn’t look like any of the original girls will be returning. “It’s not a direct sequel, although there are allusions to some characters in the original,” said Wild Bunch’s Vincent Maraval. So sadly, it looks like we’ll get a fresh batch of party girls (and possibly boys).
As our late friend Alien once said: “Spring break forever!”