Timur Bekmambetov Has an Idea For Filming a Potential Wanted Sequel

Timur Bekmambetov found his first Hollywood success with 2008’s Wanted, and he has an idea for how to film a potential sequel. Bekmambetov spoke with Deadline about his new deal with Universal Pictures to produce five films using Screenlife technology and said that he could see a sequel to the James McAvoy & Angelina Jolie-starring adaptation of the Mark Millar comic book using the technology.

Screenlife is a technology that eschews traditional cameras for a story that is entirely told through smartphone cameras, webcams, and computer screens. Examples of such a concept are 2014’s Unfriended and 2018’s Searching, both of which used Screenlife.

“Maybe do the [Wanted] sequel in Screenlife,” Bekmambetov said. “I cannot imagine an assassin in today’s world would run with a gun. Why? He will use drones, he will use computer technology, probably. You don’t need to bend bullets anymore. You need to bend ideas.”

Bekmambetov noted that despite the successes, Hollywood has been hesitant to sign on board. He noted, “Just two months ago we were too abstract, and nobody could understand what I mean when I explain Screenlife, but after two months of isolation, we are all learning to live in a digital universe. We have a long relationship with Universal; I made Wanted with them, we had an interesting project in Russia called Black Lightning, the first Russian superhero movie. And then Unfriended. Donna was the first studio executive to say, ‘OK, we will take a risk and release this movie, which will bring a computer screen to the big screen in the theater.’ It was successful, with Donna and Jason Blum supporting us. And now, they are supporting me as I create my own film language.”

There have been rumblings about a Wanted film for years, to no surprise; the action flick made $341.4 million on a $75 million budget.