TheArnoldFans Contacts Commando 2 Director?
Mark Lester is Ready to Direct the Sequel!
Reported By: ABking
Friday, February 3, 2006

With Arnold's love for politics and the current war going on overseas---during the Bush administration like the Regan era---maybe it's time Arnold finally made COMMANDO II.

Ever since Commando came out in 1985 and blew action audiences away with it's hard core violence, unbelievable body count and dark Arnold humor, fans have always asked the question if a sequel would be made. Commando II was at one point going to shoot in 1988 with mega producer Joel Silver back on board, but it never happened!

Arnold felt the script wasn't right and passed on the idea. Even acclaimed writer/director Frank Darabont took a crack at writing a big budget version at one point. Darabont's script version can be found at www.commandofans.com. This fan website is so popular that it gets hundreds of hits each week.

Last year in 2005, an article was printed in The Hollywood Reporter which reported that a Commando sequel was in the works. What was even better was that Fox or the producers wanted Arnold back as John Matrix after he leaves governorship. It was also reported that if the upcoming Commando Special Edition dvd sold really well, a big budget sequel would be greenlit at Fox.

When I contacted original Commando director Mark Lester months ago and asked him about finally directing a sequel to his only Arnold film, he said "I'd love to direct a sequel". Mr. Lester then finished by saying "contact the studio for me and let them know". Just incase 20th Century Fox or Mr. Schwarzenegger read this editorial, Mark Lester is currently working for American World Pictures and can be contacted at mark@americanworldpictures.com.

With hard over-the-top action films coming back and doing great at the box-office (Transporter 2) and action hero character Jack Brewer of Fox's mega hit tv show "24" fighting terrorists and eating up the ratings, Commando II should once again be looked at as a possible vehicle Schwarzenegger should make. It has become a brand name action classic over the past decade. Super soldier John RAMBO is even making his own comeback in 2007 with RAMBO IV and will surely be a blockbuster smash*!

Stallone's one man army character brought films like Commando into popularity and both Arnie and Sly competed at the box-office in 1985 with Rambo: First Blood Part II & Commando. Commando was released to anxious crowds on October 4th. It made $7,700,000 in its opening weekend, opening on 1,495 screens in the United States. This film solidified Schwarzenegger's place as a box-office star. It went on to gross $35 million in the U.S. and $57 million worldwide. It is considered by most to be Schwarzenegger's purest action film. There is less character development than in later roles, and a greater emphasis is placed on action. The film had a huge impact on the genre and has remained Schwarzenegger's most beloved cult film. Steven E. de Souza wrote the screenplay for Commando. His other writing credits include 48 Hrs, Another 48 Hrs, The Running Man, Die Hard, and Die Hard 2.

Arnold should produce Commando II through Oak Productions and maybe convince pal James Cameron to help produce with his Lightstorm Entertainment at Fox. The plot could incorporate politics with the current war overseas, much like Rambo: First Blood Part II did back in the day. It surely helped Rambo's box-office to a powerful 150 million domestic and 300 million worldwide gross. The female/teenage demographic would be taken care of in the sequel with an older sexier Alyssa Milano helping her father out this time around.

Schwarzenegger can DEFINETLY still play retired Colonel John MATRIX...older yet still the tough bad ass from the first film. If the general public or action fans go watch Sean Connery in Jerry Bruckheimer's action thriller THE ROCK, they'll know exactly why Arnie can still pull off playing his 80's military character. Connery was older in that film than Arnie is now. Yet Sean played the bad ass instead of younger action star Nic Cage in the Michael Bay thrill ride. Sean did the fighting, the running, the jumping and the falling down!

If Arnold and James Cameron don't want to move on with TRUE LIES 2 for whatever reason, COMMANDO could become Arnie's new MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE meets RAMBO style franchise. There could be a couple more missions for COMMANDO II & III. All the Austrian Oak has to do is pump himself up real hard (like he did for T3) and let all "fucking hell break loose on moviegoers" as JOHN MATRIX!!!