By James Slater: If you talk to someone who has not yet had the pleasure of watching the excellent movie “The Fighter,” chances are, the first thing they will ask will be something relating to the famous Gatti-Ward trilogy – either who plays Gatti or how the re-enactment of the three great action fights works. Instant disappointment is expressed when you inform your friend that the Micky Ward/Dick Eklund-tribute movie ends BEFORE the trilogy with Gatti took place.
And, as great a film as “The Fighter” is, ending as it does with Ward’s exciting, upset stoppage win over the then unbeaten Shea Neary (in the UK, for the WBU 140-pound title), some fans have said the movie should have been longer, so as to include the epic series with the late Arturo Gatti.
Well, actor Mark Wahlberg, who of course does that excellent job portraying Ward, is of a similar opinion. Talking with collider.com recently, the star said he is very keen on the idea of a sequel being made, with the story picking up where the original film ended.
“I’m trying to plant the idea in everyone’s head that we should do – not five or six “Fighters” like “Rocky” – but one more, because the big thing Micky Ward was famous for was his three epic battles with Arturo Gatti,” Wahlberg said. “So we’re talking about possibly taking one more run at it. Everybody had such an amazing experience making the movie that I can’t imagine they wouldn’t want to go back.
“But it’s still kind of in the early stages.”
I for one would love to see a sequel; as much as I enjoyed the first picture. Okay, with any sequel there is always the chance it could prove poor, with the original being marred somewhat as a result, and it’s interesting Wahlberg mentioned the hugely successful “Rocky” series. Big Box Office winners all six movies may have been (with episode V fairing less well), but only the first and second instalments are recognised as classics or near-classics (even though, against all the odds, the sixth film was a fine film in its own right).
It would be sad to see a “Fighter II” coming off as a letdown, thus spoiling some of the magic of the original, uplifting masterpiece. But the risk of making a second film might just be worth it. After all, who wouldn’t want to see the remainder of Ward’s fabulous fighting career up there on the silver screen?
Maybe a sequel would pay a great tribute to the equally deserving Gatti, as well? But who would they get to play Arturo? Benicio Del Toro maybe?