Scrooge 2

In February of 1985, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas met at Spielberg's Office on the Universal Studios lot to discuss the possibility of a sequel to "A Christmas Carol." The previous year George C. Scott's version had been a big hit and Universal was looking for a big tent pole holiday blockbuster.

The following is an edited transcript of the audio recording of their brainstorming session.  

S: Is it the next Christmas or sooner after the last one?

L: It should be sooner. But we'd want at least some of the story to span over Christmas.

S: Right. You need snow, mistletoe... urchins caroling...

L: To be clear, we're talking a proper sequel here. Not a remake, or a prequel.

S: Sequel. Probably. At this point, I don't know. What's interesting to me is: did Scrooge change or was Christmas morning a temporary bout of positive...

L: A little temporary insanity [both laugh]

S: You want to see the possibility of Scrooge falling back into his old ways.

L: Maybe it IS a prequel.

S: But the original already has a prequel nested inside of it, right?

L: Right. But in that sense, it's got the sequel in there as well...

S: A potential sequel.

L: I've always seen A Christmas Carol as a sci fi story.

S: It's a ghost story, no?

L: Yea, but also there's time travel.

S: It's a morality play... it's a fable.

L: As is the best science fiction.

S: I don't think Universal wants a picture that reminds the audience that change is actually NOT possible.

L: No, but it might allow for the threat of that... there's the tension. The risk of sliding back into our old ways.

S: Yes. He has to reset to happy Scrooge somehow.

L: Are they committed to George [C. Scott] ? Or is in open field? I mean.... Nicholson? Brando...

S: I think he's gotta be a Brit... unless we're committed to George, but I don't think we are.

L: Someone like Richard Burton, but alive.

S: Right. Olivier.   In the nightcap and bi-focals...

L: So it's let's say, a month after the incident. Cratchit is at his desk and Scrooge comes in and he's... in a mood...

S: We should see the possible downside of Scrooge's charity?

L: Ooh like it was Scrooge's ruthlessness that kept them afloat.

S: Peace through strength. Very Reagan. Very now, George. [both laugh]

L: Really though... Maybe it's what Cratchit needs. Some discipline. Some leadership.

S: This sounds like "The Enemy Within," where Kirk splits into two men: one "good," but indecisive and ineffectual; the other "evil," impulsive and irrational.

L: Right. Hang on, what if... this is good, ok... what if... Tiny Tim, despite everything Scrooge did in those first few months... died anyway...

S: Shit. [They both laugh] Scrooge is embittered and sees that despite his behavior, time is fixed.

L: Truly, I'm not sure what 1840's medicine... even with Scrooge's resources is gonna do for Tiny...

S: Right.

L: Scrooge is now rapt with doubt, he's questioning everything... His business is failing....

S: What the hell did Scrooge & Marley do anyway...

L: Some kind of 19th century money lending operation?

S: Doesn't matter.   He's in crisis. Do the ghosts come back?

L: It's a sequel. They have to I think. The audience will be expecting it.

S: Right. Or are they new ghosts?

L: Ghosts of...

S: Tiny...

L: Tiny comes back? He has to.

S: Scrooge feels betrayed by the ghosts...

L: Maybe Tiny takes Scrooge to the ghosts... They aren't expecting him.

S: I could see that. Sort of a dark world, a hidden realm. A big confrontation. Scrooge vs. the ghosts.

L: It could work.

S: It could also be completely ridiculous.

L: It could slide into silly territory.

S: Which we don't want.

L: No.

S: What if Scrooge dies and haunts Cratchit, who's turned into a real... Scrooge.

L: That's a bit of a time jump. That's the cheap version isn't it?

S: This is the problem with sequels I think. It's tricky. At that point, you might just want to wait a few years and do the remake.

[end of transcript]