The creative team behind Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance discussed the mood of the upcoming sequel at a recent Comic-Con panel in New York City.
It seems the creative team of Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor – who worked together to write and produce the film – are going for something a lot darker and grittier than previous depictions of the famous anti-hero.
To be sure, Taylor talked about the original Ghost Rider comics, citing them as a major influence for the feel of the new film.
Taylor also claimed he spent a lot of time working through those old issues to understand the character’s deeper motivations and essential darkness.
“It will be more like a horror film than an episode of ‘Cops,’” Neveldine said.
It’s not a reboot of the character, however, as the latest movie will continue the story set up in the 2007 film.
Basically, Nicholas Cage will be reprising his performance as Jonny Blaze, the motorcycle stunt rider who gives up his soul for the power to redress wrongs, becoming an avenging spirit marked by a flaming skull where his head should be.
In the first film, he is forced to go up against Blackheart, the son of the devil. In the new film, we find Jonny Blaze hiding out in Europe when he is called upon to fight the devil himself, who is trying to incarnate on earth.
The panel also hinted that the film would boast lots of dangerous stunts. “We crashed a lot of cars, busted a lot of gasoline cans, and broke a lot of bones,” Neveldine confirmed.
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is currently in post-production, and will hit theaters on February 14 , 2012.
