It’s a miracle Peter Berg’s “Hancock” exists at all.

The revisionist Will Smith superhero flick began life in 1996 as a spec screenplay by Vy Vincent Ngo called “Tonight, He Comes.” The tale of a surly, alcoholic antihero was way ahead of its time; it was a refutation of comic book movies that weren’t being made in the absurd volume we’re seeing today. It was also startlingly original, which prompted no less an A-lister than Tony Scott to acquire it as a potential directing project. It was one of the hottest scripts in Hollywood, and, for six solid years, it went absolutely nowhere.

“Tonight, He Comes” nearly went before cameras in the early 2000s under the direction of Michael Mann, then nearly came to fruition with the likes of Jonathan Mostow and Gabriele Muccino at the helm. Vince Gilligan and John August were brought in to rework the script in the hopes of making it more palatable to risk-averse studio execs and a star big enough to justify the budget of what promised to be a hugely expensive production. The producers got their man in Smith in 2005, arguably the most bankable name of that era, but there was still trepidation over the tonal tightrope walk and potential MPA battle; “Tonight, He Comes” was an R-rated movie on the page.

After myriad false starts, this bizarre script finally went before cameras as “John Hancock,” which was later shortened to “Hancock.” The film is basically “Studio Notes: The Motion Picture.” There are glimmers of subversion here and there, and palpable sexual chemistry between Smith and Charlize Theron’s Mary (who’s revealed to be his immortal lover), but it ultimately feels like a series of creative compromises (indeed, Berg shot and cut one of the movie’s strangest scenes, where Smith’s hero literally ejaculates through the roof of a house). So while it’s a miracle “Hancock” exists, it’s also inexplicable that all involved would want to go through this again.

And yet…

Why hasn’t Hancock 2 happened yet?SonyThis is a fair question on a purely commercial level. Despite mixed-to-negative reviews, “Hancock” hauled in $629.4 million worldwide, making it the fourth-highest-grossing movie of the year. Any film that does that kind of business, especially one working the superhero side of the street, is basically guaranteed a follow-up. But when you’ve got a producing team composed of strong personalities like Mann, Smith, James Lassiter, and Akiva Goldsman, you’re dealing with hellacious development gridlock. As Berg said to Digital Spy in 2009:

“There are so many cooks in that particular kitchen that are so busy and Will’s kind of taken time off to be with his kids and his kids are now making all kinds of films and there are so many people involved in that from Will to his partner James Lassiter to Akiva [Goldsmith] to Michael Man and myself. To get us all in the same room where we can talk and then agree on anything? You’ll never meet a group of people who will have a harder time agreeing on anything.”

Factor in the passage of time (it’s now been 15 years since “Hancock” hit theaters), the original film’s budget (which, given inflation, would easily be north of $200 million today), and Smith’s public toxicity post-Oscars slap, and it’s probably hard for Sony to entertain a sequel.

Everything the cast and crew have said about Hancock 2SonyIn 2009, Berg revealed that the producing team had agreed to hire the writing duo of Glen Mazzara and Adam Fierro, who, at the time, were best known for their terrific work on “The Shield” and “Dexter.” According to Berg in an interview with MTV:

“It took us a while to start breaking a story that made sense to all of us. We finally did that about three months ago and hired writers immediately. Hopefully, we’ll have a script soon. It’s something everybody’s anxious to get involved with.”

How did that script turn out? I’ve googled my heart out, and it appears Mazzara and Fierro have never said anything on the record. Smith has, near as I can tell, kept mum on the subject. If new writers had been hired over the last 13 years, their agents/publicists would’ve made sure there was a trade break announcing their involvement. No project ever truly dies, but, at the moment, the radio silence on “Hancock 2” is telling.

What could happen in Hancock 2?SonyWe at least know, vaguely, where Berg and company wanted to take “Hancock 2.” Understandably, this had to do with building out the relationship between Hancock and Mary. Per Berg:

“We’re looking at exploring their relationship prior to when we first met them and seeing a bit of what happened as a prequel. I think we danced around the concept of an [origin story] and we settled on something that is very substantive. That will be part of the sequel.”

So it might be the “Amityville II: The Possession” of superhero sequels. If they can get Burt Young on board, I’m in. Mostly, though, it sounds like Mazzara and Fierro were brought in to sharpen the first film’s tonal balance, which courted laughs, cheers, and tears in uncertain measures. Let’s throw it back to Berg:

“One thing we tried to do with the first one was balance comedy with more muscular drama, some would say to mixed results. Obviously, there were some critics who were not entirely down with that tone. But we believe in it—that we can find both. With Will Smith, you get that rare talent who can do broad comedy and is also capable of real emotional drama. We wanted writers who we felt could capture both of those tones.”

Who will the stars of Hancock 2 be?SonySmith and Theron would obviously return for another city-block leveling pas de deux. Theron, in fact, is especially hyped to portray Mary again. During the 2020 press tour for Gina Prince-Bythewood’s “The Old Guard” (in which she also played an immortal superhero), the star enthused over the notion of hurtling back into the “Hancock”-verse. She said:

“You know, for a while we [talked about a sequel]. I think closer to when the movie came out, but not in recent years, no. We’ll be superheroes with our walkers, you know. And I’ll still go! I’ll still make that movie, I would do it in a heartbeat.”

As for who would join Smith and Theron, Jason Bateman, who played Ray, Mary’s good-hearted publicist husband, would be an essential element. Remember that Hancock and Mary weaken each other when they’re in close proximity, so it would be in Ray’s best interests to keep them separated. This means Jae Head, Ray and Mary’s son (and Hancock superfan), would be back as well. That dynamic might prove fascinating given that Head is now 26 years old; has his affection for Hancock faded over time?

Overall, “Hancock” had a pretty short bench in terms of supporting characters, so we’d probably be seeing lots of new faces in this sequel that almost certainly won’t get made. Regardless, the immortal Burt Young will be waiting for his phone to ring.

Read More: https://www.slashfilm.com/1435386/hancock-2-will-smith-charlize-theron-is-it-happening/