Dusk Watch Dead - For Now
I think it’s safe to say that there’s a whole lot of love around these parts for Russian helmer Timur Bekmambetov and his vampire epics Night Watch and Day Watch. Sure, they’re not completely linear but part of the joy is Bekmambetov’s unique way of telling a bizare story with big budget-like special effects and good acting. I mean seriously…magic chalk? Who else but Bekmambetov could actually pull this off?
It was only a matter of time before Hollywood came a-knocking and his new film, the Hollywood big budget extravaganza Wanted which stars James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie, is looking like fun but it’s no conclusion to the Watch trilogy.
There had been rumblings that the third film in the trilogy, Dusk Watch (based on the book titled “Twilight Watch”) would be filmed stateside with American actors but that was never really confirmed but fans expected some sort of capping off of the series. Now it looks like that may not happen. And not just the American version but any version at all.
In a recent interview at NYCC, Bekmambetov put a temporary kibosh on a new entry into the trilogy stating that
“[Wanted] is my Dusk Watch for now,” the director said during the panel, “because it’s really the same chance, a different story, but the same genre. Unfortunately I don’t know when Dusk Watch will happen… Let’s say this is Dusk Watch.”
I’m a little miffed at this, especially considering that his first two films did fairly well this side of the water. Still, the project is only dead for now. Let us hope that someone decides they too want to see where Dusk Watch takes the characters we’ve come to love (or hate).
Thanks to Alison at the IFC Blog for the heads up on the update.
This is saddening. I’m still UBER-pissed about the DVD release without stylized subs too. Half the joy of the movie; gone.
Comment by Andrew James — April 22, 2008 @ 9:16 pm
For the Night Watch or Day Watch release? I’ve only bought the Night Watch release and my DVD is double sided - one dubbed with the English and the other with the wicked cool subtitles.
Comment by Marina Antunes — April 23, 2008 @ 12:15 am
Strange that they wouldn’t finish the story since these films are huge in Russia. I’m very against doing a third part in a trilogy with totally different actors and setting. Ruski Karamba!
Comment by swarez — April 23, 2008 @ 3:55 am
The story does end beautifully after Day Watch. I’ve got no issue that the franchise is dead here. DW had a very very satisfying ending.
Comment by Kurt Halfyard — April 23, 2008 @ 6:31 am
I’m pretty sure my Day Watch DVD has stylized subtitles.
Comment by Matt Gamble — April 23, 2008 @ 11:17 am
REALLY!? Where did you buy it? Mine definitely does not. Unless it’s an option I missed in the menu.
I don’t own “Night Watch,” so I can’t attest to that one.
Comment by Andrew James — April 23, 2008 @ 2:19 pm
I bought it at Target. I’ll throw it in and double check for you, but I always remembered it had the stylized subtitles. I know Night Watch does.
Comment by Matt Gamble — April 24, 2008 @ 9:38 am
I just picked up NIGHT WATCH and you are correct. The subs ARE stylized. I’ll have to re-check my Day Watch when I get a chance, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t have the stylized version, because I remember being reallly pissed about it.
Comment by Andrew James — April 26, 2008 @ 12:09 pm
Day Watch are NOT stylized. You can tell because the subs are below the picture (in the black bar on widescreen). On Night Watch, the subs are actually on the movie image itself. Also, when I fast forward, the subs disappear from the DW, but on NW, they remain.
Comment by Andrew James — April 26, 2008 @ 12:19 pm