The Rocketeer sequel will be “more grounded” says David Oyelowo

David Oyelowo has been talking up his belated sequel to The Rocketeer, saying his take on the material will be “more grounded” than the 1991 original.

The Rocketeer is a fantastic action-adventure that wasn’t the hit it deserved to be in the early 1990s. Based on the comic book character of the same name, the movie starred Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connolly, and Timothy Dalton, with the official synopsis as follows:

“The discovery of a top-secret jetpack hurls test pilot Cliff Secord into a daring adventure of mystery, suspense and intrigue. Cliff encounters an assortment of ruthless villains, led by a Hollywood screen star who’s a secret Nazi spy. With the help of his actress girlfriend, the young pilot battles enormous odds to defeat his foes, who are anxious to use the device in an evil plan to rule the world. The dangerous mission transforms the ordinary young man into an extraordinary hero.”

Lawman: Bass Reeves star David Oyelowo has been developing a sequel for a while now, and this week, he’s revealed more about the status of the project.

The Rocketeer sequel will be “more grounded” says David Oyelowo

“We have forward momentum. I know you guys hear this stuff all the time, but we are in the script development stage and if you’re going to reinvigorate that beloved franchise, you better come with the goods,” David Oyelowo tells The Wrap. “And so [screenwriter] Eugene Ashe is currently writing away and we were talking about it only this week. We’re all very committed to that. But it’s going to have to be great and we will not rest until it is.”

“I loved the original film. I remember seeing it, and again, not unlike the cowboy genre, there was something about it, the aspirational, inspirational, heroic quality of it. I also liked that it was sort of a bit more DIY and do it yourself in terms of the pack. It wasn’t superpowers. It was a guy. It just felt more grounded somehow.” 

As for what to expect from the movie, Oyelowo says: “I had the idea of what happens if the jetpack is passed on to an ex-Tuskegee Airman, someone who you’re not having to do a bunch of heavy lifting as to why does he have the skill and the bravery to be able to don the pack and go off and be heroic?”

“That is something that I think the original film had to do a little bit more heavy lifting around is… [protagonist Cliff] Secord, he’s this circus pilot, and then how does he get to do that? And all that kind of stuff. But a guy coming out of World War II who is an ace at what he does, those skills are transferable. And that became the jump off for what felt like – and thankfully Disney agreed – a very exciting way into doing this story in a slightly different way.”

The Rocketeer is currently streaming on Disney+. For more TV and Movies coverage, head here.