market folly

We're starting to get more concrete details regarding the release of Wall Street 2 the movie. Back in April, we touched on the fact that the movie was green to go and will mark the return of Michael Douglass as Gordon Gekko and Oliver Stone directing. Unfortunately, Charlie Sheen's character Bud Fox will not be making another appearance. Just recently though, it was revealed that Shia LaBeouf and Javier Bardem are now official cast members.

LaBeouf (who you will see parading around in Transformers 2) will play a young trader who is engaged to Gekko's daughter, while Josh Brolin (*updated) will play the 'villain' role as a (wait for it...) hedge fund manager. Ah yes the hedge fund manager profession continues to have a sterling reputation (sarcasm). The only role yet to be filled seems to be that of Gekko's daughter. They will begin filming in August and are shooting for a February 2010 release date. Director Oliver Stone has already scouted various areas to shoot including the New York Stock Exchange. Allan Loeb is writing the script and you may know his work from other movies 21 and Things We Lost In The Fire.

If you don't want to know the general plot line, then don't read any further...


Apparently the film will start with Gekko's emergence from prison as he rebuilds his career over 20 years later. Shia LaBeouf's character is a trader who is engaged to Gekko's daughter and wants to make it to the 'big leagues' on Wall Street. In order to do so, he makes a pact with Gekko in exchange for helping Gekko repair his relationship with his daughter.

The film will have a modern feel as its timeline will span from June 2008 and into the various bailouts. Bardem's character will be a villain hedge fund manager who apparently is the target of revenge by LaBeouf. The rest of the plot line (if there is more?) remains to be seen and we shall all have to wait with bated breathe. Minyanville has even come up with their own mini script of the new flick.

In order to prepare for such a spectacle, we'd recommend watching the original Wall Street in all of it's 1980's glory. You can pick up Wall Street on DVD here (20th Anniversary edition) and on Bluray here. We'd consider this an essential timepiece for anyone involved in markets as it has graced our previous list of gifts for those in finance.