James Gunn Says GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2 Officially in Progress; Karen Gillian to Return!

The superhero movie of last summer will officially continue.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY director James Gunn recently answered fan questions via Periscope, a social media video app akin to a combination of Twitter and SnapChat. Regarding an upcoming sequel, Gunn remained tight-lipped, though he said it is officially in progress. He did say that Karen Gillian's character, Nebula, will return for the sequel. In addition, the film will have a darker tone than the first one.

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Guardians of the Galaxy is a 2014 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the tenth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was directed by James Gunn, who wrote the screenplay with Nicole Perlman, and features anensemble cast including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, and Benicio del Toro. In Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill forms an uneasy alliance with a group of extraterrestrial MISFITS who are fleeing after stealing a powerful artifact.

Perlman began working on the screenplay in 2009. Producer Kevin Feige first publicly mentioned Guardians of the Galaxy as a potential film in 2010, and Marvel Studios announced that the film was in active development at the San Diego Comic-Con International in July 2012. Gunn was hired to write and direct the film that September. In February 2013, Pratt was hired to play Peter Quill/Star-Lord, and the supporting cast members were subsequently confirmed. Principal photography began in July 2013 at Shepperton Studios, England, with filming continuing in London before wrapping up in October 2013. Post-production was finished on July 7, 2014.

Guardians of the Galaxy premiered in Hollywood on July 21, 2014. It was released in theaters August 1, 2014 in the United States in the 3D and IMAX 3D formats. The film became a critical and commercial success, grossing $774.2 million worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing superhero film of 2014, as well as the second highest-grossing film in NORTH AMERICA of 2014. The film garnered praise for its humor, soundtrack, visual effects, Gunn's direction, and performances of the cast. A sequel is scheduled to be released on May 5, 2017.

Source: Variety