Beijing Drift?
Last year’s Aaron Paul-led Need for Speedmovie did surprisingly well at the box office despite being critically panned. Like all things that make money, the property’s owners are looking to further exploit that success in pursuit of even more money.
According to Variety, a Need for Speedmovie sequel is in the works, with various Chinese partners and Electronic Arts playing important roles. The project isn’t yet greenlit, however; Dreamworks owns the rights to a sequel, and a deal would have to be negotiated to secure them.
The fact that Chinese partners are involved seemingly indicates the direction for the next installment. Early reports peg this Need for Speedas being filmed mostly in China, and made up of a cast that’s comprised largely of the nation’s actors. This is likely due to the fact that the original saw a large chunk of its proceeds, $65 million, come from audiences in China.
Along with news about the film, Variety also mentions that new mobile and console games in the Need for Speedseries are expected this year. No Limitsis the already-announced mobile title, but EA hasn’t yet tipped its hand about a console game. If that’s going to happen, we’ll likely find out more around E3.
‘Need for Speed’ Sequel in the Works with EA, Chinese Partners [Variety]