Goyer Updates Ghost Rider 2

Say what you will about the first Ghost Rider flick, but I dug it! Sure it wasn't great and was a bit too campy, but nonetheless I got my money's worth. That said, I am excited for a sequel and what writer/producer David Goyer has been saying about the upcoming sequel has me pretty excited. Just what has Goyer said you ask? You're gonna have to keep reading...

Let's get what we do know out of the way first. David Goyer penned the sequel before the first film was even released. The original script was penned back in 2000 as an R rated film. Nicolas Cage will return as Johnny Blaze a.k.a. Ghost Rider. The film will be set in New Orleans.

Goyer's initial script was passed on back in 2006, but now has found itself back in action. Goyer recently spoke with MTV News and told the media outlet that the sequel happens 8 years after the first film took place. "This story picks up eight years after the first film," Goyer told MTV. Goyer also explained that the film is definitely not a reboot, audiences won't have to have watched the first film to understand the sequel. He said, "You don't have to have seen the first film. It doesn't contradict anything that happened in the first film, but we're pretending that our audience hasn't seen the first film. It's as if you took that same character where things ended in the first film and then picked it up eight years later—he's just in a much darker, existential place."

Speaking of going dark, don't get too excited about the original Goyer script being setup as an R rated film. Columbia/Sony and Goyer are planning for a PG13 rating for the sequel. While any loyal Ghost Rider fan would love to see an R rated film, there is no reason to think that a PG13 rating won't allow for the darker side of the Rider. Perfect examples are The Incredible Hulk and The Dark Knight.

Goyer commented to MTV that he wanted "Ghost Rider 2" to be a more grounded film than its predecessor. He said, "I hate to say it's more realistic, because he's got a flaming skull for a head, but it's a bit more stripped down and darker." He continued by saying it's more of a change in tone. "It's definitely changing tone. What 'Casino Royale' was to the Bond movies, hopefully this will be to 'Ghost Rider, " Goyer said. That is a huge comparison, but hopefully "Ghost Rider 2" is leaps and bounds better than the first. A huge factor there is, who is going to direct? More news on "Ghost Rider 2" as it breaks...

Source: MTV Splash Page

What say you? Will this Ghost Rider please fans and general audiences alike? Strikeback...