The 1993 action movie masterclass that is Demolition Man has been trending of late, thanks not only to the superb scenery-chewing, explosive work of stars Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes, but by the ways in which the present-day world seems to be aligning with the movie’s vision of the future. In a recent interview with Demoltion Man screenwriter Daniel Waters, he acknowledged that the world does seem to be getting closer and closer to the one he helped create nearly thirty years ago.
“It’s funny, a friend of mine introduced me to her boyfriend at the New Beverly theater, just as the last few theaters were open, and as we did it we were like, “This could be the last handshake we ever give.” Two total strangers, we had a look in our eyes like, “That could be it, huh? That felt weird.” I loved seeing the quote-unquote handshake Rob Schneider and Benjamin Bratt give each other in this. I can totally see it. Once you get into, “We don’t want anything icky in the future,” then it’s funny how it just happens. You wouldn’t touch. You wouldn’t have sex, oh, God, no.”
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The future depicted in Demolition Man is a world where people are no longer allowed to kiss, shake hands, or have any kind of direct contact. The handshake which Waters refers to involves two characters throwing up a high-five, stopping just before the point of contact, and circling their hands round and round like a window-washer. Honestly, it looks like a very upbeat replacement to the handshake.
The world has also banned smoking, toilet paper is no longer used, and Taco Bell has become the most popular restaurant…mostly because it is now the only restaurant. People also have to watch what they say, with swearing constituting hefty fines, meetings are held through teleconferences, there are “virtual wallets”, and Arnold Schwarzenegger has gotten into politics. You can see why the movie has been trending, lately. Clearly, Waters is more than aware of the movie’s similarities to the world today.
“Sandra Bullock is so good in the movie. The line, “They used handfuls of wadded-up (toilet) paper,” the way she says it, like, that is kind of primitive, isn’t it? Why would we use handfuls of wadded-up paper? And, “I was wondering if you’d like to have (VR) sex?” I don’t think I would have dared to go as far with it if I didn’t know Stallone was going to be the star. Knowing I’ve got the great caveman as my lead actor, I could lean even more into it.”
Daniel Waters is then reminded of a speech given by Sandra Bullock’s character, Lenina Huxley, in the movie, in which she alludes to all of the unprecedented global events that lead to the world as it is.
“That speech, it seems so reasonable now. Slowly but surely, we’re getting them all. When that movie came out, there was still smoking in bars. Now you can’t even smoke outside.”
Excitingly, Waters then began to discuss the sequel plans that never came to pass, with the idea centering on the daughter Spartan mentions but we never see.
“First of all, nobody seems to do the math that the daughter would be older than Stallone. We filmed a scene where … an actress that I like – Elizabeth Ruscio – she was in this great miniseries with Juliette Lewis called Home Fires. Nobody’s ever heard of it, but it’s brilliant. Anyway, she ends up playing Stallone’s daughter. It’s a tender scene, [and it] just stopped the movie dead. So, Joel’s like, “Cut it. Just cut it.” And so we cut the scene out. And then I tell you, all our first test screenings … everyone thought Sandra Bullock was the daughter. So, when they’re about to have sex, the whole audience is, “Oh, no.” And we thought, “Maybe we should cut out all mentions of the daughter.” Can’t do it.”
We can’t do it. We need something. And then Joel Silver’s like, “Meryl Streep is the daughter [for the sequel]. She needs a big box office action movie.” I go, “No, she doesn’t.” But he was like, “If I get her to do it, will you come on?” Which is funny, because to get Winona Ryder off my back (about a HEATHERS sequel), I had told her the story of her character in HEATHERS, going to Washington and working for a senator named Heather – played by Meryl Streep. She was like, “I pitched to Meryl, she’s excited.” So, I’m doomed, for no Meryl Streep sequels are happening. But yes, Joel did talk about a sequel.”
Waters even began to sketch out a sequel himself, in the moment, stating that he would probably have to reveal how the infamous “three seashells” work, which would involve Stallone breaking the fourth wall and turning to the audience in the trailer for this sequel that everybody wants.
“I’d have to “come clean” with the three seashells and just have a graphic… I mean, that’d be the trailer. I wouldn’t even need to show action, just a teaser of Stallone walking into a stall. He sees the three seashells, and he turns to the camera, “Do you want to find out, or what?” If we make movies again, maybe I can do this.”
Demoliton Man was directed by Marco Brambilla in his directorial debut. The movie tells the story of two men: an evil crime lord and a risk-taking police officer. Cryogenically frozen in 1996, they are reanimated in 2032 to find mainstream society changed and all crime seemingly eliminated. It stars Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes as the two larger-than-life characters that come to blows both in the present and the future. Alongside them stars Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne, Benjamin Bratt, and Denis Leary.
Quite frankly, Demolition Man 2: Rise of the Phoenix sound like exactly what the world needs right now. This comes to us courtesy of Vulture.
