1999 is widely regarded as one of the most difficult years in American pop culture. With an entire country still in mourning following the end of Seinfeld just one year earlier, an emotionally distraught populace was forced to come to terms with the unkind reality that 1999 wasn't anything like Prince promised it would be. However, one underperforming animated film from eventual legend Brad Bird gave the death of the 90s its final show of awesomeness.
The Iron Giant, featuring the masterful voice work of one Vin Diesel, achieved almost immediate (and largely unanimous) critical acclaim upon its release that August. However, the certified GOAT animated film sadly fell victim to misguided marketing and ended up drawing just half of its reported $70 million budget at the box office. Surely feeling partially responsible for the fact that this gem somehow didn't dominate every conversation in 1999, Warner Bros.recently announced the "Signature Edition" of The Iron Giant. This remastered version reportedly includes two new scenes and will receive a brief theatrical return in September.
Just days after announcing his enthusiasm regarding a death-defying xXx sequel, Diesel teased an Iron Giant follow-up on Facebook:
As noted by Collider, Diesel's wording here is of some interest. "Don't be surprised" is a relatively confident endorsement of this supposed sequel, though not entirely free of doubt. Fears of a Furious 8 / Iron Giant 2 crossover film aside, Diesel is undeniably great at imbuing robots and/or trees with an Oscar-worthy sense of sadness. Though Bird isn't particularly fond of seemingly unnecessary sequels, the possibility of a second chapter in the Iron Giant story is certainly something worth celebrating.
