A Wolfs sequel was never really happening.
Wolfs has a Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid-type ending. Brad and George stand in full view in front of a large window and start firing their revolvers at half a dozen heavily armed hitmen.
The circumstances on why are very similar to MaMS. Unlike Jane and John, Brad and George are not adequately armed and make no attempt to improve their odds. Outnumbered and outgunned, they launched an open frontal attack. You don't see them die, but that seemed likely.
This was how Brad and George wanted the movie to end. They were not interested in another Oceans 11, 12, 13.
Of course, Hollywood would have found a way to work around the ending if it had been a success. Universal tried to convince Angelina to agree to a sequel to Wanted. Wanted opened to $50M on the way to $342M worldwide
Apple pulled Wolfs from wide release just before the film was due to hit tracking charts' projected opening weekend numbers for Sept. 27 . The timing suggests they knew from their own tracking surveys that the numbers would be weak. So much so that they wanted to avoid public embarrassment for George and Brad and talk of another big-budget miss for Apple.
There is no way two big stars were not consulted about and agreed to the release change. Brad still has F1 with Apple which probably cost a lot more than Wolfs with the ongoing reshoots. Poor tracking for Wolfs may have set off warning bells for F1. That may be why they went for F1 as the title in hopes of enticing the huge F1 fan base.
The sequel announcement was a face-saving gesture for Brad and George. Everyone was cagey when asked about the sequel during the film's premieres.
Jon Watts' explanation is hokey. Apple won a bidding war and owns the production. They could very easily get a new scriptwriter and director. They don't need Watts and probably would prefer someone else given criticism for his generic script and direction.
A studio would wait to see how the film is received before discussing a sequel. Wolfs' reception did not point in that direction.
Watts' story is timed to publicly explain why there is no work on a sequel despite the announcement.
Apple overspent on Wolfs. It was not the huge hit they expected it to be.
Nobody got what they wanted. They did the best they could do under the circumstances.
'Wolfs’ Sequel With George Clooney and Brad Pitt No Longer Going Forward [Exclusive]https://t.co/LjKTfuaGVY
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) November 22, 2024
Jon Watts Explains Demise Of George Clooney & Brad Pitt 'Wolfs' Sequel After Streaming Pivot: 'Apple Didn't Cancel...I Did, Because I No Longer Trusted Them ... https://t.co/EAzRAnlkDq
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) November 23, 2024
“I showed Apple my final cut of Wolfs early this year,” Watts told Deadline. “They were extremely enthusiastic about it and immediately commissioned me to start writing a sequel. But their last minute shift from a promised wide theatrical release to a streaming release was a total surprise and made without any explanation or discussion. I wasn’t even told about it until less than a week before they announced it to the world. I was completely shocked and asked them to please not include the news that I was writing a sequel. They ignored my request and announced it in their press release anyway, seemingly to create a positive spin to their streaming pivot. And so I quietly returned the money they gave me for the sequel. I didn’t want to talk about it because I was proud of the film and didn’t want to generate any unnecessary negative press. I loved working with Brad and George (and Amy and Austin and Poorna and Zlatko) and would happily do it again. But the truth is that Apple didn’t cancel the Wolfs sequel, I did, because I no longer trusted them as a creative partner.”
