Ed Harris Eager To Get Back In Saddle For 'Appaloosa' Sequel

Remember that “Mr. Brooks” trilogy that Kevin Costner was hyping up in the days before his serial killer movie came out? Or all that talk of the dozen-or-so sequels they hoped to make from Russell Crowe’s “Master and Commander”? Then, of course, there’s “Shoot ‘em Up," “Daredevil," and “Doom” parts deux, most likely never coming to a theater near you.

Now, the latest film to garner second-installment talk before it has taken in a penny at the box-office is “Appaloosa,” the gritty Western that opens this weekend.

“Parker wrote two sequels to this, which I think could be combined into a sequel,” explained writer/director/star Ed Harris to us recently, referring to novelist Robert B. Parker, who is best known for his “Spenser” crime tomes. “Appaloosa” is based on Parker’s 2005 book about expert gunslinger Virgil Cole (Harris in the movie), and could be followed by a mash-up of this year’s “Resolution” and an upcoming third novel. “It would be interesting to investigate it.”

Before you laugh this off as mere hype, however, keep in mind that Parker has a huge, very loyal fanbase. Also, “Appaloosa” has garnered largely positive reviews, and if it launches a Western renaissance along the lines of what we’ve seen from musicals over the last few years well, anything’s possible.

“[The sequel would focus on the] same characters: Cole, Allie (Renee Zellweger), and Hitch (Viggo Mortensen) pretty much,” Harris explained of the flick, which he’d mostly likely return to direct again. “Allie runs off with some other guy. Cole tracks this guy down and shoots him, in cold-blooded murder. And then he goes and finds Hitch in this town, and they go partner up and they go to find Allie in Texas somewhere.”

“She's in some whorehouse there,” he added with a laugh. “She's really in bad shape.”
When you hear a star talking sequel before his movie even comes out, does that make you more likely to see the film or less likely?

Tags appaloosa, ed harris, Viggo Mortensen