Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance; trailer and poster for Nicolas Cage’s “It’s not a sequel” follow up to Ghost Rider...

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No I still haven’t heard / read anything from co-director Mark Neveldine that explains exactly how it isn’t a sequel when Nicolas Cage is still the Ghost Rider / Johnny Blaze; although it’s understandable why they’d want to distance themselves from Nicolas Cage’s hair in the first movie. But I can see what they mean in terms of the approach to the movies. If Ghost Rider was an attempt to make a Ghost Rider film for the Spider-Man crowd, then Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is a super hero for those who have been patiently awaiting Blade 4: A much darker, more violent and scary / freaky film than the first one.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance; Comic-Con panel featuring Nicolas Cage & Idris Elba.

Perhaps the closest analogy would be Star Trek (2009). That fil was kind of a stealth sequel that seen by many as a complete reboot, even though it was essentially a  sequel to all the Trek’s we’d seen before because the main events take place after all the previous movies and TV shows, as prove by the appearance of Leonard Nimoy’s Old Spock. It’s just that by taking that timeline and looping it back upon itself they got to modernise everything ad make things slightly difference and exist as a prequel; but a prequel with no obligations to make everything, or anything, tie into the previous shows and movies. Her, I guess, the presence of Cage keeps the continuity with the first film, but with everything else changed, the bike, the Rider, the location and even the demonic forces (Satan instead of Mephistopheles) the first film is being pushed to a dark corner.

The poor goons chasing Idris here will wish they hadn't Shot him in the trailer!

Nicolas Cage reurns and joined by the ever impressive  Idris Elba (Thor, Luther, The Wire) the ubiquitous  Ciarán Hinds (Harry Potter 7.2, The Debt, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, The Rite) and the ‘only one’ Christopher Lambert (highlander, Mortal Kombat, Subway).

Synopsis...

“Nicolas Cage returns as Johnny Blaze in Columbia Pictures' and Hyde Park Entertainment's Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. In the successor to the worldwide hit Ghost Rider, Johnny - still struggling with his curse as the devil's bounty hunter - is hiding out in a remote part of Eastern Europe when he is recruited by a secret sect of the church to save a young boy (Fergus Riordan) from the devil (Ciaran Hinds). At first, Johnny is reluctant to embrace the power of the Ghost Rider, but it is the only way to protect the boy - and possibly rid himself of his curse forever. Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. Screenplay by Scott M. Gimple & Seth Hoffman and David S. Goyer. Story by David S. Goyer.”

It's a good trailer and shows signs that everyone is living up to their word on this one

First Trailer...

(Without intro)

Twitter intro...


Comic Con Panel video...

First Trailer...