John Boyega has been in the news lately for refusing to return to the Star Wars franchise considering he didn’t have the best experience with the producers and a vocal minority of fans. Boyega also isn’t interested in joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe for now as he wants to explore "fresh ideas." However, there is one role Boyega is planning to revisit in the future: Moses from the 2011 cult hit Attack the Block.
Attack the Block was John Boyega’s breakout film and paved the way for his casting in J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Written and directed by Joe Cornish, Attack the Block followed a teen street gang who join forces with their mugging victim (played by Jodie Whittaker) to defend their neighborhood from alien invaders. Attack the Block wasn’t a big box office success, grossing only $6.2 million against its $13 million budget, but the film was a critical success and is often ranked among the best sci-fi and horror films of the decade.
Joe Cornish and John Boyega confirmed last year that they’d begun work on Attack the Block 2, and the long-awaited sequel seems to be getting closer to reality. In a recent interview with Collider, Boyega offered more details on Attack the Block 2’s plot and revealed that he’s co-writing the film with Cornish.
"This process has been fantastic. The story has actually been presented by myself and Joe Cornish. We’ve collaborated heavily on making a story that makes sense for Moses and the other characters, and the new characters that will be coming up in the sequel too. And then, also, there’s different perspectives in writing it, with Joe having his perspective and me having mine. London has changed so much, in so many different ways, over the years since the first movie. We’re just tryin’ to make sure we explore all of that, while bringing in a whole different vibe to that crazy ass first movie that we made."
John Boyega also offered an update on the potential production date for Attack the Block 2, teasing that the official announcement is on the horizon.
"We’re quite close. We’re gettin’ there. Obviously, we don’t wanna release no dates to anybody because we wanna take care of the creative process. We have the main spine of the story, but we’re still in the lab, just making sure the story is right. Story is everything. But it won’t be too long. I’ve given them the drums to speed up the process. Hopefully soon, we’ll have an announcement for when we’ll be around London, messin’ stuff up."
Attack The Block 2 Will Be Much Different Than the First Film
Attack the Block ended with Moses and the remaining surviving members of his gang getting arrested for the deaths and destruction around their block. However, the residents knew the truth and cheered for the heroic kids as the police took them away. Boyega has confirmed that Attack the Block 2 will feature older versions of the characters and that the film will be a mash-up of different perspectives. Although, he didn’t reveal if Moses actually went to prison or not. "It’s now about aging the character slightly and seeing where he’s at now," the 30-year-old Brit said.
Hopefully, Attack the Block 2 will live up to the originality, ambition, and social commentary that have made the first film so relevant even today. In the meantime, be sure to check out John Boyega in the upcoming thriller Breaking, based on the heartbreaking true story of former Marine Brian Brown-Easley. Breaking will be released in theaters on August 26, 2022.