Producers talk Dog Soldiers 2 : Fresh Meat

[DB7]

FANGORIA scribe Marc Shapiro reports in with news on the eagerly awaited sequel:

DOG SOLDIERS: FRESH MEAT, the follow-up to easily one of the most refreshing werewolf movies in years, will go before the cameras in April. Budgeted at $5.5 million and scheduled for a 35-day shoot, the sequel will be shot in either Luxembourg or Canada under the direction of Andy Armstrong (an action/2nd unit director with credits including HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II, NIGHTBREED and HIGHWAYMEN) from an Eric Miller script. The story is by the original’s returning producers, David E. Allen and Brian Patrick O’Toole.

“The new movie begins right at the end of the first film,” Allen reveals. “Cooper is picked up by an American team who, we find out, were the real opponents for the war games for Sgt. Wells’ squad. We discover more werewolves that we didn’t know about from the first movie, who may or may not be part of the family. There’s more action, more gore and there are definitely more werewolves. It’s all out in the woods again, with plenty of guns and blood.” As of now, no cast has been announced, including whether actor Kevin McKidd will return to reprise the Cooper role.

O’Toole offers that the approach to FRESH MEAT will be the same as on the original DOG SOLDIERS, which literally came out of nowhere to become a fan favorite and, in many critical eyes, joined GINGER SNAPS as one of the best werewolf movies since THE HOWLING and AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON. “Our idea with the first film was to make it for the fans,” he says. “We made a small film about werewolves and treated it right. We didn’t put our tongues in our cheeks. We set out to make a real horror film without the SCREAM-like nudges to other films.”

Allen adds that DOG SOLDIERS: FRESH MEAT will definitely not be the last in this hairy saga. “We’re definitely thinking in terms of a franchise,” he says. “We have a third story sitting in the background, and we also have an idea for a prequel that would tell the story of the werewolf family. But don’t look for DOG SOLDIERS IN OUTER SPACE or DOG SOLDIERS IN THE HOOD. We’ll only make these movies as long as we can stay true to the nature of what the werewolves are really all about.”

[wolfman]

What can i say, i loved the first film but in the name of profit the producers seem to have given original creator/ writer and director Neil Marshall the boot, added a load of americans so they can sell it across the pond and pumped up the budget so that the film can have more blood instead of a witty well written script.

For years i have talked about how much i love this film and no i am going to have to hang my head in shame because of this sequal.

Why would Sgt Wells' team have been compeating against an american force? why would the americans be rescuing British soldiers in Britain? oh yes that right...because they have to be the heros if they are going to sell it in america, why dont they just call it G.I. Dogs and have all the previous american presidents brought bakc in time to win the war against werewolves.

i only hope that i am wrong about this but from what i have heard i am not.

Dog soldiers fans prepare to die inside...Americans prepare to spend money on this film!

[DJ Pat]

^^I agree. How can these US soldiers appear when it was quite clear in Ryan and Coopers conversation that only they were on the exercise.
If Sgt Wells is returning, what will he be?

[jbeef]

Could not agree with you more. I love this film and I am now paranoid that some half baked pile will be turned out as a sequel. I read a quote from Sean Pertwee that said "there is a reason why they are called dog soldiers and it is f**king cool" and "it all had to do with DNA" I might be reading into this a bit to much but I am thinking that the plot may be along the lines that of this.

American Government designs werewolf style super soldier and decides to test it against some of the best trained soldiers in the world. Now they can't call up the MOD and say terribly sorry but could we borrow a couple of your special forces chaps and see how they get on against some genetically engineered werewolf supersoldiers because that would be stupid (even for Americans) So they drop a few of them in the middle of Scotland knowing full well that eventually the military will find out and send someone to have a nosey. The fact would then be that Sgt Well's team would believe they were on an exercise. Cpt Ryans team would think they were using Well's team and all the while the Americans folks are watching the whole thing to see how there pet project get on in a "combat situation".

The second film will involve all this going wrong with shed loads of the dog soldiers escaping and turning on their American creators. Cue Cooper for some see you jimmy Scot stylee werewolf destruction, aided by a half man half werewolf Sgt Wells, who didn't turn completely into a werewolf due to the inhalation of gas and the massive explosion of the house.

If this is correct then this will probably be one of the most shoddy sequels ever and I will cry myself to sleep every night for ever watching the first one.

Obviously my plot is full of holes but the movie was apparently designed to be part of a trilogy featuring Cooper battling the three classic monsters of Werewolf, Vampire and Zombie. This had to be changed because of Van Helsig (sp).

The only good news I have heard is that Neil Marshall will write the new script and Kevin McKidd will be in it again.

As you can tell I am quite obsessive about this film and would gladly welcome any information or opinions.

Cheers.

[DB7]

wolfman: Dog soldiers fans prepare to die inside...Americans prepare to spend money on this film!

Seems to be following a similar route to Hellraiser, hopefully the script (and it's charm and humour) wont be sacrificed in favour of special effects.

[wolfman]

Its nice to hear some people that loves the first film like me and arent afriad to see the flaws in the new one. i read that article with sean pertwee too but there was one with neil marshall where he was saying about cooper taking on werewolves, zombies and then clones (frankensteins monster). i didnt think that neil marshall was writing the script for this one, i thought that eric miller was doing it and andy armstrong was directing it. if neil marshall was part of the script then i would be happier but as it going it dont look good.

if the film premiers in london then i think i will have to go along to see the people that have ruined a great film and solied british cinema.

DOG SOLDIERS 2: FRESH B*LL*CKS

[theuofc]

Is Liam Cunningham scheduled to be in the sequel?

Thanks.

[jbeef]

This is about all the info I could find. Looks like I made up that thing about Marshall writing (which is a shame)

....talked with producer David E. Allen about the film, where he revealed a lot of interesting info. Here's what he said...

"The new movie begins right at the end of the first film. Cooper is picked up by an American team who, we find out, were the real opponents for the war games for Sgt. Wells’ squad. We discover more werewolves that we didn’t know about from the first movie, who may or may not be part of the family. There’s more action, more gore and there are definitely more werewolves. It’s all out in the woods again, with plenty of guns and blood."

He then adds.. "Our idea with the first film was to make it for the fans. We made a small film about werewolves and treated it right. We didn’t put our tongues in our cheeks. We set out to make a real horror film without the SCREAM-like nudges to other films."

He goes on to discuss more sequels... "We’re definitely thinking in terms of a franchise. We have a third story sitting in the background, and we also have an idea for a prequel that would tell the story of the werewolf family. But don’t look for DOG SOLDIERS IN OUTER SPACE or DOG SOLDIERS IN THE HOOD. We’ll only make these movies as long as we can stay true to the nature of what the werewolves are really all about."


12/03/03
First Dog Soldiers' writer/director Neil Marshal talked with UK's Hotdog Magazine and revealed that the sequel will begin shooting sometime early '04 for a release in the first quarter of '05.

5/20/03
Producer David Allen revealed some interesting stuff about the sequel, saying...

"All I can tell you is that it picks up right at the end of the first film and we will have some Americans in it. And it is still being made as a theatrical film, we did sell the first film around the world theatrically, but of course, America did not think that America wanted to see another British film. We will have a bigger budget and be shooting in Luxembourg again. We hope to get the studios here interested in showing it theatrically. We hope once we do the sequel to go back and do a prequel as well."

DETAILS

- Budgeted at $5.5 million.
- Set to start filming in April on a 35-day shoot in either Luxembourg or Canada.
- Neil Marshal (First Dog Soldiers writer/director) won't be returning, but he will be attached with a "story by" and producing credit.
- It's said that the film will have some Americans in the film this time and it will have the same elements that the first movie had.
- Eric Miller is writing the script.
- Production began in late August.
- A sequel to the first Dog Soldiers


---------------

Barking loudest in the Graveyard bullpen will most likely be DOG SOLDIERS: FRESH MEAT. The Eric Miller-scripted follow-up is currently seeking a director. “The DOG SOLDIERS franchise will be the cornerstone of Graveyard Filmworks,” Allen says. “Although it will have a much bigger budget than these other features, we feel that it represents our company well. The story picks up in the woods at the end of the first one. We’ve added Americans to the mix because they taste better! FRESH MEAT will be bigger, badder and bloodier than the first film. We also have a part three and a prequel in the works.”
Allen adds that a few actors from the first DOG SOLDIERS will be asked back, even some (like Liam Cunningham as Capt. Kidd) who didn’t survive the previous picture (“We love Liam,” Allen says). Also returning will be the Chainsaw Award-winning original’s salty dialogue. “The characters will have the same foul mouths,” says writer Miller. “Since this is for the British theatrical market, why hold back?”

[jbeef]

Just realised that I probably read this bit

Neil Marshal (First Dog Soldiers writer/director) won't be returning, but he will be attached with a "story by" and producing credit.

and got in confused.

[Guy]

In reference to the upcoming Dog Soldiers 2: Fresh Meat. You can be assured that if the American film industry has anything to do with the project, the story will be irreversibly altered--that is to say, ruined. Unfortunately, someone across the pond has seen the opportunity to make a buck. One thing is certain, however: the first and original Dog Soldiers remains untouched in its quality.

[wolfman]

Guy has taken the words right out of my mouth, you from georgia then? how did you first see the film? I thought that over in the states it was first released on the sci fi channel, where they edited it to make it shorter...aparently cutting the scene where Cooper glues sgt Wells together again.

[Deuce]

I agree with everything that has been said so far, and as an American, I have seen some of Europes best movies sent over the pond only to get distorted and turned to crap. (I'm still ashamed over the remake of Le Femme Nikita). I guess all we can do is hope for the best, but plan for the worst. And just as an after thought, how the hell can a film be "too british". That was half the charm of the original.

[scar_tissue]

This will be the biggest brit/yank movie transition travesty ever bar none if it goes ahead. Clearly David E Allens hands are itching to milk the cash cow so much, and take the credit for it as well, that he's leaving out Neil Marshall, without whom dog soldiers would NEVER have been. Dog soldiers was never a werewolf movie, as Mr Allen believes. It was, as Neil Marshall says, a Squaddie movie with werewolves in it, and the banter that made the first movie so great is pure brit squaddie banter (as a brit squaddie i can attest to this) and instead of the lovable rouges of the first movie, taking the piss out of each other and talking about footie, we'll end up with a bunch of muscle bound brainless yanks shouting yee hah and running around quoting mindless dialogue. Oh, and to quote David E Allen again:
"We set out to make a real horror film without the SCREAM-like nudges to other films.”
Dog soldiers is full of such nudges, by film lover marshalls own admission on the commentary for the DVD, so if this clown wasn't paying attention to the first film, we've got zero hope of redemption for a sequel, oh the humanity!

[EDDIE OSWALD]

From an insider.... Let's just make this quite clear to everyone. As of May 2004, Neil Marshall is in no way connected to DOG SOLDIERS 2, a film that now looks like it will never get made. Long live the first and best!

[banshee]

I hope they have vampires in the new movie, if it ever comes out. Kinda in the vein of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." If an army of werewolves, why not an army of vampires? I really loved the movie BECAUSE it was so British. Why ruin it with an American accent?

I am a Yank, by the way, and I thought it was funny that the producers were thinking of adding subtitles to "Dog Soldiers."

In any case, judging from the new storyline, it doesn't seem to make the Americans look like heroes; rather the Americans seem to be the villains since they instigated the whole experiment. No need for bristling fur wink .

BTW, I just bought the movie, it was at an unbelievably low price of $9.99 at a retail chain. Why is that? Is there some sort of cinema politics involved? U.S. Movies of way less calibre will sell new in the U.S. for at LEAST $19.99. I was certainly happy as a fan to get it for such a low price, but I was also disappointed, for it seems to reflect a low standing for the movie.