More Departed?

I was making my daily website rounds yesterday when I came across some upsetting news. It isn’t earth shattering (yet) and it probably only matters to a few, but that’s who I write for. It seems as if there are talks for a sequel to The Departed. When I first read the article, it was like having my hand slammed in a door. It hurt, but not on that stomach-punch or kick to the nuts level.

Now, if you haven’t yet seen The Departed I’m telling you to stop reading now. Stop right now. Mark this post and come back to it after you’ve seen the movie, in fact you should probably just log off your computer, leave work and run to the movies. Can’t get a sitter? Call me, or just leave them some water and put all sharp objects out of reach. I don’t care. Do whatever you have to do just go see the movie already. Oh, and it’s coming out on video in two weeks.

There are a few glimmers of hope for this project. First, Scorsese is still involved and they want Robert De Niro to play a part. With De Niro and Scorsese it’s hard to go wrong. Now lets be honest De Niro, hasn’t exactly had the best track record of late. But this could be like Jordan’s famed “double nickel” game in the Garden. (For those that don’t know the story, Michael Jordan’s first comeback started off kind of slow and then he scored 55 against the Knicks in the most famous arena in the world)

Also, many don’t know this, but The Departed is actually a re-make of a Hong Kong film called Internal Affairs, and that was a trilogy. The first story I read, just mentioned a sequel, but I’ve done some research and they are actually talking sequel AND prequel. Could this end up as Scorsese’s Godfather? Well, we all know that they made one too many there. So personally, I’d rather just see a prequel. I don’t see how a sequel could really work. I mean, everyone is dead by the end of The Departed except for Mark Whalberg.

So last night I began thinking about how they could do this, and a prequel is all that made sense. Only I don’t see how you can bring back Matt Damon and Leo DiCaprio, at least not as major characters. So here is how I see it:

Taking place a few years before Damon and Leo are even in the police academy, Jack is running has his crew. But where as in The Departed we didn’t see that he had any competition, in the Hirp version of the prequel there’s another gangster in town. And the two factions don’t play nicely. Oh, this one just happens to be lead by Robert De Niro. Can you imagine a scene with De Niro and Nicholson? It’d be the biggest movie event since De Niro and Pacino.

Now Jack has what the Italians call a consiglierie, played by Brad Pitt who was originally casted in the first movie. It turns out this isn’t such a good thing for Jack. Pitt is actually working for De Niro (he couldn’t join Cosa Nostra because he isn’t 100% Italian) Well, when Jack finds out the shit hits the fan of course. He ends up getting a visit from the Feds who help him smoke out Pitt, as well as kill De Niro. Which leads to him owing the Feds a favor, and this is how he ends up in bed with them as we heard in The Departed. Also, the fact that he was infiltrated by a rival is what gives Jack the idea to put a mole in the police department.

I can still see Martin Sheen having a role, as well as Mark Whalberg. They’ve been on the case for a while. And maybe small roles for Leo and Matt, but I don’t really know if that’s necessary. I really think that a story along these lines could work, but I don’t see how a sequel could work. And to be honest I really rather they not make one. Just because a movie is both great, and makes a ton of money doesn’t mean they need to make a sequel. I think that’ll have to be its very own post some day.