'Real Steel 2' Secretly Being Planned; Hugh Jackman Will Return

While doing press for his new film This Is Where I Leave You, director Shawn Levy revealed that he has secretly been developing a sequel to his 2011 hit Real Steel for the past 3 and a half years.

The filmmaker revealed that Hugh Jackman is ready to reprise his role as Charlie Kenton, but they will only make a follow-up if they can find a fresh story.

"We have been quietly developing a sequel to Real Steel for three and a half years. We've come up with some great scripts but Hugh and I would only make it if the plot feels fresh, but also the character journeys feel fresh, and we've found both but never at the same time. It's ongoing. I know the clock is ticking. That movie, weirdly, for a movie that did very well globally--it did okay domestically--but the love for Real Steel remains kind of unique as far as rabid fans who ask me all the time for another one. Hugh and I love that movie so if we can crack it, we'll make it, but I have this sense that we better make that happen soon or frankly, the audience may not be there in the same way. So we shall see."

The filmmaker also offered an updated on his Sesame Street movie that is also being developed, which may go into production next year.

"I watched it when I was 3. My kids now watch it now that they're three. We actually have a very good script now by Mike Jones, who has written a bunch of movies, one for Pixar and a bunch that are now in the process of moving towards production. It's really good. We're doing a polish on it and we turn it into Fox and Sesame and hopefully it's something we shoot next year."

He also discussed his next project, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, which hits theaters on December 19, and his working relationship with star Ben Stiller.

"Ben and I, we're so different. Our manners are different and our energies are different, but BenBen and I have always meshed up really well. Ben understands, as I do, that every creative person needs to be fulfilled in a variety of ways. We happen to have been united on this franchise that's been very successful and fun for both of us, but I have to say that we came to Night at the Museum 3 just really grateful. It felt like a bit of a homecoming, a cast that we knew and loved in a world and a franchise that has been embraced at a level that I've never experienced. Night at the Museum, that first movie is both of our most successful movie, still. We came together with a brotherhood and a shared love of this franchise and we wanted to close it out right. We wanted to close it out at an elevated level, both in terms of spectacle and comedy and emotion, this third one feels very good."

Real Steel was released October 7th, 2011 and stars Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo, Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie, Kevin Durand, Hope Davis, James Rebhorn, Marco Ruggeri. The film is directed by Shawn Levy.