A few days ago, it was announced that producers Star Partners and Hummingbird Productions were working on a sequel to Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life. The Christmas classic starred James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who imagines what life would currently be like if he had never been born. However, those plans for a sequel have now come to a halt.
Paramount Pictures, who owns the rights to the film, announced Wednesday that they have not given permission for this film to be made. “No project relating to It’s a Wonderful Life can proceed without a license from Paramount,” the studio said in a statement. “To date, these individuals have not obtained any of the necessary rights, and we would take all appropriate steps to protect those rights.”
The news of the possible sequel, entitled It’s A Wonderful Life: The Rest of the Story, has sparked outrage over the internet. Many expressed their dislike towards the idea on social media. Even Capra’s son, Tom Capra, felt his father would not have approved of a sequel. “If he was still alive, he would have called it ludicrous,” he said. “Then, I think we would have called his lawyer. Why would you even attempt to make a sequel to such a classic film?”
The producers of the sequel, Bob Farnsworth of Hummingbird Productions and Allen J. Schwalb of Star Partners, originally stated that the film would be released in 2015. They added that Karolyn Grimes, who played George Bailey’s daughter in the original film, would star in the sequel as an angel who comes to help her troubled nephew. The producers also told The Hollywood Reporter that rights to the film were public domain.
Nevertheless, Paramount Pictures owns the rights to the film and license it to air occasionally during the holiday season on NBC. Hummingbird Productions and Star Partners have yet to comment on the matter.
