Warning: This post contains some spoilers for the original Descent.It's been a while since we've heard anything about the promised sequel to Neil Marshall's The Descent, and fans of the film who rolled their eyes at the initial announcement may have gotten their hopes up. But no: the sequel is still going forward with Descent editor Jon Harris making his directorial debut, and James Watkins (My Little Eye), who had nothing to do with the first film, writing the screenplay. The new info is that Shauna McDonald and Natalie Mendoza, who played protagonists Sarah and Juno, will reprise their roles in the sequel. The cast will also have some Y chromosomes this time around, in the form of Gavan O'Herlihy, Joshua Dallas and Douglas Hodge.
The plot will involve "the survivor" -- that would be Sarah -- "forced back into the system of caves she battled her way out of in the first film, in a bid to locate the rest of her group." Shockingly, this probably means that the sequel will take the American "Lionsgate ending" (in which Sarah gets out) as canon, rather than the original ending, where Sarah's escape is a dream sequence and the final shot shows her remaining in the cave. I suppose this could be explained to overseas viewers (who were, after all, responsible for more than half of the first film's $57 million box-office) by claiming that she got out later, in some other way. But it'll be tough.
The plot description and return of Natalie Mendoza raise another question: in The Descent, Marshall strongly implied that after Sarah crippled Juno (take that, you home-wrecking whore), Juno was left to die at the hands of the cave-dwelling mutant villains. Barring some complicated (and pretty much inconceivable) flashback device, Mendoza's return means that Juno (and others) survived, however improbably. That's going to be tough too.
The Descent was the first movie since I was a pre-teen to actually make me scream out loud in the middle of a crowded theater -- no mean feat given how desensitized I am by hundreds of movies a year. I'm a huge supporter of Marshall's film; there was a time after I saw it, at the Philadelphia Film Festival two years ago, when I'd try to pimp it to everyone and anyone who wanted to talk movies. It's one of my favorite pieces of modern horror. So, in a dissonant reaction typical of a fan faced with the prospect of a sequel to a beloved movie, I'm excited and anxious at the same time. Neil Marshall's oversight is somewhat reassuring, even if I didn't think Doomsday was all that.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-01-2008 @ 7:12PM
Nick said...
I think I might have given the "original" ending too much credit; I didn't think the escape was a dream sequence, I just thought the final shots symbolized the fact that mentally she would never be able to escape from the cave and all the reprocussions of her actions therein...
If this "reading" is correct, they may actually be taking the UK ending as cannon... But I'm probably wrong...
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5-01-2008 @ 7:49PM
MCW said...
"The Descent was the first movie since I was a pre-teen to actually make me scream out loud"
Because you were scared, or because you were mad you paid for the ticket to watch it?
I thought it was a decent - pun intended - movie. Not worthy of all the praise it received. I seem to remember (Having seen the movie the week it came out) the monsters in the cave not being that scary or believable... just more CG crap shoveled out.
I'd watch a sequel though... there was enough there to bring me back, the first one was just disappointing upon first watching. I should go try and watch it again, maybe it gets better with age.
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5-02-2008 @ 9:13AM
Patrick R said...
"I seem to remember (Having seen the movie the week it came out) the monsters in the cave not being that scary or believable... just more CG crap shoveled out."
That's odd, because Marshall has repeatedly stated in interviews that absolutely no CG was used for the creatures. Just actors in makeup.
5-02-2008 @ 3:01PM
MCW said...
OK then, well they looked like actors in makeup. They still were junk.
5-01-2008 @ 8:50PM
Allison said...
I agree that this is one of the only good original horror movies to come out in the past few years. I balked at the previews thinking it was another remake or "Hills Have Eyes" ripoff and then ended up getting it OnDemand anyway and was so happy I did. I think the horror genre has gone down hill nowadays and this movie was so refreshing in its uniqueness and for the fact that it wasn't originally Japanese or something. However, I liked the ending with the dream sequence and I think a sequel is just going to undermine the original vision. They didn't get out of the cave. They're all dead. Life sucks. Well, it's a horror movie so life should suck. Hollywood needs to leave things well enough alone.
So, you made a great movie. Good for you! Now, go do another one completely unrelated to it. Don't go muck up what you've already accomplished.
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5-02-2008 @ 3:21AM
jonathan said...
i didnt think that it was an amazing horror movie at all. it was ok. but i guess the ending i saw was the one where the entire thing was a dream of her escape and i thought that was bad ass. didnt know american theaters had it different, luckily i saw it on dvd.
a sequel would be weird too...so i guess i'll just have to rent it and find out.
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5-02-2008 @ 6:50AM
Peter Hall said...
I think anyone who heralds The Descent as a member of some echelon of good horror needs to watch more horror movies. The thing steams worse than a Hot Carl. Anyone calling it even OK is giving it too much of a pass, if you ask me.
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5-02-2008 @ 2:14PM
Eric H said...
I guess its our good fortune no one asked you. I myself have seen a good majority of the horror films made in American and abroad and find this among my favorites.
5-02-2008 @ 4:01PM
Peter Hall said...
The internet asked me.
5-02-2008 @ 7:49AM
beinggay said...
I always thought it was dumb that Sarah crippled Juno over a simple mistake and miscommunication (minus the adultery, which then is a stupid reason to kill someone for). Although I like the movie, just thought it was a dumb ending.
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5-02-2008 @ 2:13PM
AJ Wiley said...
Count me as one who never bought the hype for The Descent. It's an okay movie, better than your average Hollywood horror, though that's not exactly saying much. I personally didn't find it scary, and only mildly thrilling; I actually thought it went massively downhill once the (lame) monsters showed up.
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5-03-2008 @ 7:52PM
DAVID F said...
This is a bad idea....another bad idea.
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