Back in 2021, “L.A. Confidential” writer Brian Helgeland revealed that he had a great idea for a sequel to the acclaimed 1997 noir drama and Best Picture nominee.
At the time, he revealed he had worked on a new story for a 1970s set sequel and with the help of author James Ellroy who penned the novel the original is based on.
He had original co-stars Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce onboard while he managed to get the late Chadwick Boseman involved as a young cop. Warners passed on it, but he didn’t elaborate further.
Today speaking to Deadline at the Toronto Film Festival, Helgeland revealed that multiple others also turned down the film he pitched after Warners passed on it, including Netflix where one exec gave a damning response:
“James Ellroy and I worked out an elaborate pitch for ‘L.A. Confidential 2’ that takes place during the Patty Hearst [era], when the Symbionese Liberation Army came down to L.A., and we had Guy Pearce attached and Russell [Crowe] and Chadwick Boseman playing a young cop working for Mayor Bradley.
We pitched it everywhere…We had to go to Warner Bros. first and Warner Bros. is like we don’t make movies like this. Ellroy is a performance artist and he would do the pitch, and it was the most amazing pitch.
Our executive at Netflix fell asleep during the pitch. They fell asleep and nodded off during the pitch. I got home, and was like, ‘We can’t do that anymore.'”
Helgeland was out promoting the world premiere of his new crime thriller “Finestkind” starring Ben Foster, Tommy Lee Jones, Jenna Ortega and Toby Wallace. That film will premiere on Paramount+ in November.
