Upcoming Sequel To Oscar-Nominated Movie 20 Years In The Making Has An Impossible Task To Match The Original

Summary Matching the high-paced style of City of God in a TV series will be challenging without the original creative team.

City of God: The Fight Rages On faces the difficulty of expanding storylines and maintaining the impactful visuals of the film.

Legacy sequel TV series have struggled in the past, such as The Full Monty and Willow series, showing the uphill battle for City of God: The Fight Rages On.

In an age dominated by legacy sequels, it is becoming increasingly rare for successful one-off films to remain that way. The next film to be revisited is 2002’s City of God, an epic crime film directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kàtia Lund. The film, written by Bràulo Mantovani, is based on the 1997 novel of the same name by Paulo Lins. City of God follows several interconnected stories across the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, with a specific focus on the story of Busca-pé, played by Alexandre Rodrigues. Nicknamed Rocket, the young man witnesses the rise and fall of several criminal gangs and police corruption.

City Of God: The Fight Rages On takes place 20 years after the movie. It brings back Alexandre Rodrigues as Rocket/Buscapé, as well as other returning cast members, Thiago Martins and Roberta Rodrigues. Set to debut on Max in August 2024, The Fight Rages On will have a difficult task of living up to the critical acclaim set by the original 2002 film. Whilst made on a modest budget of three million dollars, City of God became a cinematic phenomenon, grossing $30 million in return. It launched the Brazilian new wave of independent cinema and challenged the political landscape of Rio de Janeiro.

Related Where to Watch City of God Find out where to watch the seminal film City of God, that deals with life in a Brazillian favella and shows how fleeting youth can be.

City Of God: The Fight Rages On Show Will Be Compared To The 2002 Movie

Matching The High-Octane Pace Of The Film Will Not Be Easy For A TV Series

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City of God is known for its fast-paced editing style and frenetic pace of storytelling than does not lend itself as well to TV. The film is a breakneck odyssey through the love and horror children face in the poverty-stricken conditions of the Cidade de Deus, but this pace will be hard for the show to maintain across several episodes when compared to a feature runtime. Despite the return of Alexandre Rodrigues, The Fight Rages On does not share the same creative team as the film.

Fernando Meirelles is credited as an executive producer on the show but is not directing any of the limited run. Instead, directorial duties are handed over to Aly Muritiba, while a roster of new writers takes over script duties. Without the golden touch of Meirelles and Lund, the same defining style of City of God will be incredibly hard to replicate, and any attempts to duplicate the manic style may come off as a poor copy.

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The film influenced global cinema with its style and raised awareness about urban violence and poverty, with acclaimed filmmaker Robert Altman saying “I think it’s the best picture I’ve ever seen,” according to GamesRader. As a TV show, The Fight Rages On is at a disadvantage. It will have to expand storylines which may dilute the impact and focus of the film, as well as match the stunning visuals outside the cinema setting.

Why Matching City Of God's Success Will Be So Difficult For The Fight Rages On

Following on from the original's legacy will be a challenge for the new show. The film went on to see awards success, earning 55 wins and 29 nominations. These included four Academy Award nominations, including Best Director, and winning the BAFTA for Best Editing. The film is ranked #38 on the BBC’s Best Films of the 21st Century list and was included as Roger Ebert’s second-best film of 2002. The Fight Rages On will focus on Rocket returning to the favelas, now as a successful photojournalist, but reuniting with a character after years apart often leads to audiences feeling disappointed.

The recent failures of legacy sequel TV series do not bode well for The Fight Rages On. The Full Monty (1997) had a sequel series on Disney+ premiere in 2023. Similarly to City of God, the original film was critically acclaimed, while the sequel series received a 67% on Rotten Tomatoes and was canceled after one season. The 1988 fantasy film Willow also had a Disney+ sequel series, which garnered a tepid reception and was also swiftly canceled. For City of God: The Fight Rages On, the battle will be avoiding the same fate as other legacy sequel TV shows.

Source: GamesRadar