New Photos And Quotes For Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps; Thoughts On The Script
By Hunter Stephenson/Jan. 15, 2010 8:42 am EST
At the above VF link, there’s a quote from Douglas about Gekko’s influence and power in the current global marketplace: “Gekko couldn’t manipulate the markets like he did back then. It’s so big, so huge, that to be a minor player you need to be a major bank.” One detail I was glad to see in the script by Stone’s reputable pal Allan Loeb (Things We Lost in the Fire) was that Gekko has become understandably frugal with his time after being released from jail. He’s taken a figurative beating in the years since Bud Fox’s whistle-blowing in the ‘87 original, and it’s made him borderline neurotic in his obsession with minutes and seconds.
Oliver Stone adds, “When Gekko comes out of prison, in the beginning of this movie, he essentially has to redefine himself. He’s looking for that second chance.” But by no means has hard time led to Gekko softening or finding religion—he just seems more publicity- and legal-savvy. Stone and Douglas will have fun with the washed-up rep that others have of Gekko in the sequel.
It was also promising to see that Gekko is given a fair amount of screen time, though Shia LaBeouf’s precocious trader, who’s from a quasi-biographical unprivileged background, is front-and-center. (I’m assuming, given the quick casting and production time, that the screenplay was followed faithfully during a now completed shoot on location in New York City and Dubai.) Reading the script, the film’s “villain”—a wealthy string-puller (Josh Brolin) who may have been involved in the murder of LaBeouf’s mentor—seemed tailor-made for the actor. Refined yet reptilian.
