Michael Douglas Returns to 'Wall Street'
Michael Douglas and Oliver Stone are heading back to Wall Street, with "Money Never Sleeps," the sequel to the 1980's blockbuster which inspired a whole new generation of eager stockbrokers. Stars such as Shia LaBeouf and Carey Mulligan attended the red carpet world premiere in New York City, and they discussed their thoughts on the whole "greed is good" catchphrase from the first "Wall Street" film, which became the mantra for excess at the time.
"If there is a message, not that ['Money Never Sleeps'] is pushing it hard, but i think it's that time is your greatest asset. And for a generation that doesn't have a whole lot looking down the pike, it is a good message.," LaBeouf told reporters during the premiere.
Carey Mulligan (who plays Winne, the estranged daughter of Douglas' now-iconic character Gordon Gekko) mentioned that portraying a character whose suffered the consequences of Gekko's greed drew her to the project, "That's sort of what I was interested in...Playing someone who's had a stigma for a surname. And having to live with that in a place like New York which is so, kind of, insular." Recently, Douglas and Stone each spoke with CBSNews.com about separate projects, and both men were quick to point out the differences between "Money Never Sleeps" and its predecessor, citing this as a much more personal story.
Stone noted, "[The original "Wall Street"] said what it had to say. This one is a more mature movie. It's about people trying to live a life in the midst of all this greed. And find their balance. What's human? What's human anymore when you have so much money at stake?" "I think people will be surprised. It's got much more of a personal story than the first one, between Shia, Carey Mulligan, and myself which I was impressed with when I saw the picture.," Douglas added.
Alongside wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, Douglas did attend the high-profile premiere, but did not speak to anyone affiliated with the press on the red carpet as he continues to battle stage four throat cancer. Cast members at the event, however, were outspoken with their support.
"Cancer picked the wrong guy," LaBeouf said of his co-star's illness. James Brolin, who portrays the villainous Bretton James, also weighed in, "[Douglas] is allowing himself to be seen. He's not victimizing himself. And I'm really proud of him. I've known him for a long, long time. I'm very happy with the way he's dealing with this. He's not letting it beat him."
Audiences can see more of Douglas' strength as "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" hits theaters nationwide.