Could We Really Get a Rounders Sequel?

Before you read my article, watch the YouTube video posted below where the main star of the cult 1998 poker movie Rounders, Matt Damon, offers a tantalizing glimpse into a potential Rounders sequel nearly 20 years on from the original movies release. Damon made these comments whilst being interviewed on ‘The Rich Eisen Show’ and after you have watched the 90 second video clip, read the rest of my article where I discuss the potential obstacles faced before the sequel can be made.

The original Rounders movie is unique in that it was set before the poker boom and before the phenomenon of online poker became both cool and part of pop-culture. I discussed in my previous article on PokerTube why I thought Rounders was such a good movie for poker and my main argument was that it was far more than a poker movie. It was a good movie that was based on poker with well-developed plots and characters that we as poker enthusiasts enjoyed as much for those reasons as the fact that it was about poker.

Before we all get too carried away we should note that Matt Damon was very clear that Brian Koppelman and David Levien, the writers that Damon has worked with a number on a number of occasions during his very successful career, have only got as far as developing an “idea” for the sequel. This is step 1 in a multi-step process that would need to be navigated before they could even move into the production phase. Unfortunately there is a long way to go before we get to book our cinema tickets.

There has been no discussions, it appears, on budgets or which actors are available to star in the Rounders sequel. There has been no agreement on the plotline itself although there are potential ideas being thrown around which is better than nothing. Heck, we don’t even know if the movie would be called “Rounders 2” yet!. In order to avoid disappointment and I certainly would be disappointed if it didn’t happen, I’m not getting carried away just yet.

Sequels are notoriously difficult to get right. Once we, as fans of the original, get over the euphoria of seeing the characters back on screen we have a number of requirements for the sequel. We want a clue as to what happened in the interim period to the characters we last left at the end of the original movie. We want to be presented with this information without the pace of the new movies plotline being stifled so there is an immediate challenge for the writers on how to do this. A one line “yeah isn’t it sad Teddy had to move away” if John Malkovich, for example, couldn’t participate, or chose not to participate, in the movie would seem like a sellout.

Whether we see another Rounders movie also depends on it being possible for all of the major actors taking part. On that basis it is great to see such enthusiasm from Matt Damon who, let’s be really frank about this, without whom we could not have a Rounders sequel. The same can be said for Edward Norton, who as charismatic “Worm” added the recklessness that ensured exciting plots that the otherwise somewhat cautious Mike McDermott character could not credibly deliver on his own.

A key difficulty for any sequel is striking a balance. I loved “The Color of Money” Pool movie, but found it weird that it’s original, set 25 years before, “The Hustler”, was barely mentioned. I wanted the Eddie Felson character to talk about what had happened in the original movie even if I am completely aware that in our own lives we never discuss in detail during normal conversation about our lives two decades ago.

It would also be a shame if, for example, Edward Norton was only available for a few scenes and therefore only played a small cameo in the movie. The eventual plotlines are as much to do with actors availability, budget and time than preferred storylines. So if there is to be a sequel I would prefer it if the main characters of Teddy KGB (John Malkovich), Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) and Worm (Edward Norton) sign up fully and play a full part in the movie throughout the fun two hours or so we would be transported back into the world of Rounders poker. An acceptable cameo for me would be Gretchen Mol, who played Mike’s anti-poker girlfriend Jo. I would, however, rather wait for the sequel and have it done right rather than rush it and end up with a substandard end product.

So with these challenges in mind do I see Rounders 2 hitting the screens any time soon? I personally think it is unlikely in the short term but could certainly happen in or around 2018, where it will be 20 years since the first Rounders movie was released. This seems a logical point for us to revisit Mike McDermott’s character and reflect on his life two decades on from his apparent breakthrough as a poker player when he first began to travel to Las Vegas as a “legit” player at the end of the first movie. This would give a starting point for the events leading to the transition into the next phase of life that movies usually like to document or use as the basis of their plot. On a more practical basis this also gives the main actors the opportunity to plan their schedule with this movie in mind as they are often in demand and plan their schedule years in advance.

I hope this article does not mask my enthusiasm for Rounders 2. I’d love to see a trilogy of movies, never mind just one sequel, providing the sequels enhance rather than detract from the original. It would be heartbreaking if they did what many movies do which is to repeat almost to the word the plotline structure from the first film.

We want an original twist without losing the familiar themes. It’s a tough tightrope to walk but I think that the certainty of Rounders 2 is that it would be well-received by poker fans around the world which hopefully means a production company will be willing to invest heavily in its production. Even if it receives the wrath of the critics, which sequels often do regardless of the movie’s actual quality, I cannot see it being a dud at the box office. It would make money, so I’m personally very enthusiastic about the possibility of it happening. Forget poker, forget online poker, forget even the actors itself, if there is money to be made the producers will be keen to make it. This gives Rounders 2 a real chance in my opinion.

Please then join me in sending a message to the production companies as they consider funding the production and development of Rounders 2. It’s time for a sequel. We fans want to watch it and the stars like Matt Damon wants to make it. So ....