Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City was a groundbreaking achievement in the world of comic book adaptations, as his use of digital effects allowed the director to replicate many iconic panels from the Frank Miller book almost exactly. The sequel, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, didn’t quite achieve the same prominence with audiences, as it has gone all but forgotten since its 2014 debut. One person who hasn’t forgotten it is producer Sergei Bespalov, who is suing Rodriguez for the film reportedly going over budget and costing Bespalov $20 million.
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According to the suit that was filed with the California Superior Court, Rodriguez demonstrated a “pattern of misbehavior” which ultimately led to the film running over budget.
“When the dust settled, SC2 Productions ended up financing almost $15 million in cost overruns over the approved budget Rodriguez had agreed to, and was obligated to, work within when filming Sin City 2,” the suit details. “SC2 Productions should not have to shoulder the costs of Rodriguez’s false representations, failure to perform and many egregious breaches of various contracts related to the film.”
The original 2005 film sits at 77 percent positive reviews on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, which describes the film, “Visually groundbreaking and terrifically violent, Sin City brings the dark world of Frank Miller’s graphic novel to vivid life.” On a reported budget of $40 million, it went on to earn $158 million worldwide.
Nearly a decade later, what originally made the film compelling had apparently lost its appeal in the throes of our current comic book renaissance, sitting at 43 percent positive reviewers while Rotten Tomatoes described, “A Dame to Kill For boasts the same stylish violence and striking visual palette as the original Sin City, but lacks its predecessor’s brutal impact.”
The film ultimately took in $40 million worldwide on a reported budget of $65 million.
The original starred Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, and Jaime King, who all returned for the sequel. A Dame to Kill For might have been missing Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, and Elijah Wood, but it added Eva Green, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Ray Liotta.
While the franchise may have stagnated in the cinematic world, creator Frank Miller has regained his rights to the property and is expected to develop the concept into a TV series. Given the inherent lascivious nature of the property, it is tough to say how these themes could be handled on the small screen.
Stay tuned for details about the future of Sin City.
[H/T Deadline]
