Gerard Butler’s secret service agent Mike Banning isn’t retired yet. More features, and even local-language TV spin-offs, are being planned after the success of Angel Has Fallen, the franchise’s producer confirmed today.
Alan Siegel, the president and CEO of production and management outfit Alan Siegel Entertainment, said that the company is looking at a fourth, fifth and even sixth entry in the series, following a trilogy of global successes to date.
Speaking at the American Film Market’s finance conference, Siegel also added that the company is considering selling the franchise IP to international television for spin-offs that could star local actors, and in turn those actors could appear in the upcoming features.
“If we do it in India, the star of that could come into Angel Has Fallen 4. It could be a symbiotic relationship,” he said.
Alongside being Butler’s manager, Siegel also co-runs production company G-BASE with the actor.
Speaking on the same panel, Jeffrey Greenstein, President at Millennium Media, which produces and sells the franchise, discussed how they had pivoted the third entry in the series towards a more character-driven narrative.
“We looked at each other on the third one and we thought we couldn’t just blow up another city,” said Greenstein.
“This time. Maybe next one we will,” added Siegel.
The Has Fallen pics have grossed north of $500m at the global box office, and a big chunk of those receipts have come from international.
China was an important part of the release for the second film, 2016’s London Has Fallen, accounting for $52m of its $143m international gross.
Greenstein said that China is a major opportunity but has become increasingly difficult. The producers are still waiting to hear if Olympus Has Fallen will receive a release slot in the territory.
He highlighted that the franchise was classic AFM fare (star-led action) and that the pics were proof that the traditional pre-sales model isn’t dead.
Evidencing that point, Siegel noted that upcoming Gerard Butler thriller The Plane, which he is producing through his G-BASE banner, has been doing strong business at AFM this year.
Greenstein added that the wider market, even streaming platforms, were all after packages that were essentially theatrical in quality-terms.
“The market demands theatrical product, even Netflix wants the bigger, cast-driven things,” Greenstein commented, but added that the amount of money being offered outside of the indie space was making it increasingly challenging to secure big name actors.
“The numbers that Netflix, Amazon, Disney are able to offer are substantially higher than anyone can on the independent market,” he said. “Talent might have one slot a year where they can do an independent film, and they might want to go on holiday.
via Deadline
