Will The Thomas Crown Sequel Be An Affair To Remember?

News has been circulating that Paul Verhoeven will be returning to big budget Hollywood filmmaking by taking the helm of The Topkapi Affair. In case you are unaware, Topkapi will be the long awaited sequel (by me at least) to 1999’s The Thomas Crown Affair.

I think that this is great news; Topkapi has been on the boil for a few years now and there hasn’t been a director attached to the project (I could take a cheap shot at John McTiernan here, but I wont – besides all the best jokes have been used). Verhoeven should be able to add a good touch of gloss to the film and he’ll probably ratchet up the sex and violence quota while he’s at it.

Pierce Brosnan will again be back as Thomas Crown (as well as producing through his Irish Dreamtime shingle) and rumour has it that Angelina Jolie will play his love interest in the film. I can’t wait to see Brosnan back in one of his best roles, but I feel that Jolie’s attachment could ruin the project.

One of the main marketing ploys of the original film (the remake, not the Steve McQueen starrer) was that both Brosnan and costar Rene Russo were in their forties. What’s the catch going to be in the new film? That Brosnan is twenty years older than Jolie?

Whatever the casting decisions, I am excited by this project and I’m glad that it’s moving ahead. However, the film is scheduled to be a go before the cameras after the strike so we’re going to have to wait a while longer.

One thing’s for sure, if Verhoeven does commit to the film it will likely be an affair to remember.