Exclusive: Ocean's Trilogy Director Reveals an Unforgettable Prequel to Daniel Craig's Southern Heist Comedy!
Daniel Craig's Southern heist comedy Logan Lucky almost had a prequel, helmed by the director of the Ocean's Trilogy The film introduced Joe Bang, played by Craig, who later inspired the creation of the enigmatic detective Benoit Blanc
Summary
The prequel plans for Logan Lucky were abandoned due to its disappointing performance at the box office.Daniel Craig's portrayal of Joe Bang, infused with comedic elements, served as a catalyst for his eccentric character in Knives Out.
While a prequel to Joe Bang is unlikely, audiences can anticipate the return of Daniel Craig's eccentric detective character, Benoit Blanc, in Knives Out 3.
According to Steven Soderbergh, there were plans for a prequel to his heist film Logan Lucky, starring Craig, but those plans were scrapped after the movie's poor performance. Soderbergh, known for directing the Ocean's Eleven franchise, took a new approach to the heist genre in 2017 with Logan Lucky, setting the action in West Virginia. In the film, Adam Driver and Channing Tatum portrayed brothers who planned to rob a speedway during a NASCAR race and sought the assistance of the unpredictable inmate Joe Bang, played by Craig. Despite receiving positive reviews (as evidenced by its 92% Rotten Tomatoes score), Logan Lucky failed to perform well at the box office, only grossing $48.5 million.
Though Logan Lucky did not perform well at the box office, it was still notable for featuring Craig in a comedic role. Moreover, there were plans to further explore his eccentric character, Joe Bang, until the film's failure caused those plans to be abandoned. Soderbergh recently revealed this interesting information during a Reddit AMA session promoting his new show Full Circle. In response to a question, he mentioned that they had a prequel in mind that would explain how Joe Bang ended up in jail. However, due to the underwhelming performance of Logan Lucky, they decided to drop the idea.
Logan Lucky’s Joe Bang Pointed The Way To Benoit Blanc
While Craig was at the peak of his successful tenure as James Bond, he took on the role of Joe Bang in Logan Lucky, a character that offered a refreshing departure from his suave secret agent persona. The trailers for Logan Lucky cleverly highlighted the stark contrast between Joe Bang and Craig's iconic Bond character, even going as far as introducing Craig as if he were a completely unfamiliar face to the audience.
Joe Bang showcased a different side of Craig, portraying an unhinged explosives expert who had to be freed from jail to join the Logan brothers' heist. Although Soderbergh's plans to bring back Joe Bang didn't materialize, Craig continued to explore unconventional characters with his portrayal of peculiar detective Benoit Blanc in both Knives Out and its sequel, Glass Onion.
In essence, Joe Bang paved the way for Benoit Blanc by demonstrating Craig's ability to excel in a peculiar character role within an ensemble. His role in Logan Lucky even featured a Southern accent, which hinted at the distinct and peculiar accent he later crafted for his character in Knives Out. While the likelihood of a Joe Bang prequel is now slim, there is certainly more of Benoit Blanc to come, as Rian Johnson works on Knives Out 3.
Source: Steven Soderbergh/Reddit
