It’s almost two years since Matt Damon told the world that he was interested in a sequel to the cult classic “Rounders,” but since then, we’ve heard nothing but crickets. So, will we ever see one? Well, like “Heathers 2,” it’s something we all want to see, but it might never happen.
In an appearance on the “Rich Eisen Show” back in 2016, Damon told us that he would love to get involved in a sequel, fueling rumors that there was indeed something in the works. However, it wasn’t until a year later in a public Q&A on Twitter that “Rounders” writer Brian Koppelman further fueled those rumors with a classic line: “If you ask me about a sequel to ‘Rounders,’ I will make up some bull.” Obviously Koppelman and his co-writer David Levien are fed up with fielding questions on the subject, but nevertheless, it’s a topic that just won’t go away.
But what is it about poker movies that make us all go weak at the knees? Almost every poker scene in any relatively successful film is guaranteed to become the film’s most iconic moment. “Goodfellas,” “Cool Hand Luke,” “Casino Royale,” and those are just the big ones. Even mainstream TV shows have gotten in on the act. Remember that episode of “Friends”?
Like the classic gunslinger scenes of old, a game of poker has us all sitting on the edge of our seats. Maybe it’s the tension and excitement or perhaps it’s the fact that it could be us sitting there with a pot of half a million at stake. Whatever it is about poker, as an audience, we just can’t get enough of it.
So back to “Rounders 2.” Does the original have enough room for expansion? If it does happen, can we expect to see the same characters back on our screens? Well, if history has anything to go by, then both Koppelman and Levien’s scripts prove good fodder for sequels. And Damon and Norton are just too good to cast aside. While we won’t see Malkovich return, there have been rumors that De Niro could be in line for the villain role. After all, it is a betting flick, and Bobby is the go-to man for a tough, no-nonsense bad guy.
The word on the street is that the writing duo’s idea for the sequel will take the story outside of the U.S. and possibly focus a little more on the online aspect of poker. It’s a move that makes sense given that the poker industry has become so much more than Vegas in recent years. At one time, you couldn’t have a film about poker without at least some reference to Vegas, but things are changing with massive online tournaments taking place every week and players who have never set foot in the U.S. making millions online.
Damon himself pointed this out in his “Rich Eisen” appearance, stating that he believes that with the dawn of online poker, the game has become as much about game theory as natural skill. It would be interesting to see how they could make online poker into a gripping storyline, but they did it with Facebook and “The Social Network,” so anything is possible.
The most notable quote about the sequel comes from Koppelman himself who stated that both he and Levien were open to the idea, but that it was out of their hands. Miramax holds the rights to the film, but since the production company has changed hands several times over the years, the idea has yet to take hold. However, if we were clutching at straws, we might point out that IMDb has classified “Rounders 2” as in development. We can dream, right?
