Warner Bros.
The reason why the ‘Demolition Man’ sequel with Meryl Streep as Stallone’s daughter never saw the light of day
A ‘Demolition Man’ sequel was promised for many years, but it’s been on ice for decades. Could it still happen?
In 1993, “Demolition Man” hit theaters, captivating audiences with a futuristic showdown between Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes. And while it never became as big as other franchises did at the time, the movie did eventually become a cult classic for its dry humor and hilarious (yet somewhat prescient) prediction of the far future. However, despite early talks of a sequel, nothing ever came to be. Here’s a look at the journey and why the sequel didn’t materialize.
A star-studded sequel that never was
The initial idea for “Demolition Man 2″ was rather unconventional. Mark Waters, the screenwriter of the first film, revealed that the plan was to include a previously scrapped storyline and cast Meryl Streep as the daughter of Stallone’s character, John Spartan.
However, this concept was more of a fleeting suggestion by producer Joel Silver. Waters himself responded positively only to the idea of having Meryl Streep involved, but it never materialized into anything. The project was soon forgotten, not helped by the fact that Stallone’s popularity in Hollywood had waned during that period.
By 2006, Stallone himself had pronounced “Demolition Man 2″ as a dead project. In an interview with Ain’t It Cool News, he mentioned: “I’d like to make a sequel to Demolition Man, but I believe that ship has sailed and maybe there are more challenges waiting on the horizon.” He was likely referring to his upcoming project, “John Rambo,” which started filming soon after. For many years, the sequel to “Demolition Man” faded into obscurity.
In 2017, Stallone sued Warner Bros., claiming they hadn’t paid him his rightful share of the profits from the original film. Warner initially stated that the movie had lost $64 million, but later acknowledged it had made money and sent Stallone a check for $2.8 million. Dissatisfied, Stallone pursued further legal action, resulting in an out-of-court settlement in 2019. This settlement also covered disputes over other films like “Cobra,” “Tango & Cash,” and “The Specialist.”
Could a sequel still be possible?
After the legal settlement in 2019, Stallone announced that he was once again collaborating with Warner Bros. on “Demolition Man 2,” claiming the project was looking promising. Despite this, no further details have surfaced, suggesting that the sequel may still be in pre-production limbo.
The recent success of “Top Gun: Maverick” has shown that there is potential for long-delayed sequels to succeed, which could reignite interest in “Demolition Man 2.” Additionally, Stallone has remained active in the action genre, recently filming “The Expendables 4″ at 76 years old. Whether or not the project eventually happens is a mystery to all but those involved.