Family and betrayal at centre of Wall Street sequel

view gallery VIEW GALLERY

Director Oliver Stone today described his sequel to Wall Street as a film about family and betrayal.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps sees Michael Douglas return to his Oscar-winning role as corporate raider Gordon Gekko.



The movie follows Gekko as he tries to repair his relationship with his daughter Winnie, played by Carey Mulligan, and attempts to rebuild his career after a prison spell.



Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival, Stone said the moral ambiguity of the main characters was central to the film.



He said: "This is a story about family, this is a story about people who are balancing their love of power and money with their need for love, and that is really what it comes down to.



"Every single one of the fine actors in this betrays each other at some point in this movie, even Carey, who's often called the moral centre."



Stone said he was happy Money Never Sleeps was screening out of competition at the festival, describing such competitions as an "addiction".



He said: "I think it's a dangerous attraction, an addiction. I think people go crazy because of it.



"We all like competition, and it's good but we all compete by making movies."



Shia LaBeouf, who plays young Wall Street trader Jake Moore, said he had immersed himself in the world of investment banking to prepare for his role in the film.



LaBeouf, 23, admitted that after filming several action movies and going through a "dark" period of his life, working with traders and bankers was a steep learning process.



He said: "I felt like I was playing with the all-star team, and I was coming out of a place in my life that was pretty dark, and I didn't feel like I had a lot of confidence personally.



"I felt like the only way I could have confidence, which is the only job requirement for these men, was to be as astute as I possibly could, and these men embraced me because they embraced Oliver, and I learned a lot really quickly."

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
News in pictures
World news in pictures
Arts & Ents blogs

Owen Howells: From the UK to Australia and back again (and again!)

Owen Howells is a DJ/producer who grew up in Australia but was born in the UK. He came back to the U...

Brighton Fringe 2013 – Is everyone sitting uncomfortably?

Fancy seeing a play about serial killers? How about inviting a funeral director into your home for a...

The Fall ‘Darkness Visible’ – Series 1, episode 2

There are a good many moments in the second episode of this psychological thriller that deserve refl...

       
Independent
Travel Shop
Imperial Cities of Morocco
Seven nights half-board from only £799pp Find out more
Historic Sicily
Seven nights half-board from £799pp Find out more
4* all-inclusive Crete
Seven nights from only £399pp Find out more

ES Rentals

    Johnny Marr talks relationships and reunions

    He's worked with Modest Mouse, the Pet Shop Boys and Beck, to name a few, and recently released his first solo album. So why, wonders Johnny Marr, do people still hark on about The Smiths?
    After the flood: From Haiti to Britain, one man has captured the devastation of our increasingly deluged lands

    In pictures: After the flood

    From Haiti to Britain, one man has captured the devastation of our increasingly deluged lands
    Death becomes her: Meet the very modern mortician who champions 'cool' funerals

    Death becomes her: A very modern mortician

    Ever considered baking a loved one's remains into a cake or putting their ashes in fireworks? If so, talk to Caitlin Doughty, champion of the alternative death industry.
    How long can the 'Keep Calm' trend carry on?

    How long can the 'Keep Calm' trend carry on?

    At first it seemed clever and cute. Then the 'Keep Calm' motif went mad, spawning endless offshoots.
    The man who built Brum: A lament for the demise of John Madin's Brutalist Birmingham

    John Madin: The man who built Brum

    The architect's buildings were supposed to leave an indelible, futuristic mark on his beloved hometown but they are now being inexorably torn down.
    School of chop: Learning the art of butchery at the Ginger Pig

    School of chop: Learning the art of butchery

    How do you butcher a lamb? Or make Mexican street food in a British kitchen? Christopher Hirst finds out.
    James Pembroke: The man who's eaten everywhere

    The man who's eaten everywhere

    Few people know more about restaurants than James Pembroke, who only spent five mealtimes at home during his entire childhood.
    A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?

    A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?

    The young JFK praised 'superior' Nordic races during visits to Germany
    Banned Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof to attend Cannes Film Festival 2013, his first public appearance since prison

    Banned Iranian director to attend Cannes Film Festival

    Mohammad Rasoulof to make his first public appearance since being imprisoned three years ago
    Seeing the larger picture: Inspiring images of space

    Seeing the larger picture: Inspiring images of space

    An exhibition explores images how photography has shaped astronomy
    Eat Spam and carry on: Wartime pamphlets could teach us a thing or two about healthy, thrifty eating

    Eat Spam and carry on

    Wartime pamphlets could teach us a thing or two about healthy, thrifty eating
    Facial hair: Cat beards and the purrrsuit of excellence

    Facial hair

    Cat beards and the purrrsuit of excellence
    The 10 Best salt and pepper sets

    The 10 Best salt and pepper sets

    Whether they're for everyday use or to make your dining table look just right, it's worth getting a stylish shaker...
    Ferran Soriano: Predicting success if Manchester City 'vision' is followed

    Ferran Soriano: Predicting success if Manchester City 'vision' is followed

    Chief executive says trophies will come if a 'core' of suitable players is in place
    Thomas Müller: We couldn't handle losing a Champions League Final again

    Thomas Müller: We couldn't handle losing a Champions League Final again

    The Bayern Munich forward tells Tim Rich his side have to shed chokers' tag after two recent final defeats