‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ Sequel in the Works

Variety is reporting that the iconic 1946 Christmas film “It’s a Wonderful Life” is going to have a sequel, entitled “It’s a Wonderful Life: The Rest of the Story,” aimed for a 2015 holiday released.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” told the story of George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, a kind hearted banker who had afoul of a rich crook named Henry Potter played by Lionel Barrymore. Bailey was caught in a situation in which his bank was on the verge of falling into ruin and himself into jail. Believing that everyone would be better without him, Bailey contemplates suicide. However he is saved by an angel named Clarence, played by Henry Travers, who shows him how worse off everyone would be without him. Donna Reed as Bailey’s wife and Karolyn Grimes as his daughter Zuzu round out the cast.

The premise of “It’s a Wonderful Life” has been copied in numerous other movies and TV shows. The sequel, though, will exercise a twist.

Karolyn Grimes, famous for her line about “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings!” returns as another angel. In this case the subject of the heavenly intervention is the original Bailey’s grandson, also named George Bailey, who unlike Jimmy Stewart’s character is a terrible person. The angel will show him how better off everyone will be without him, the reverse of what happened in the first movie. No doubt lessons will be learned in the course of the movie.

No other casting has been done beyond the new angel, particularly of the younger George Bailey. However Jimmy Hawkins and Carol Coombs, who played the other two Bailey children, are engaged in discussions to reprise their original roles.

While the original movie was filmed primarily in California, with Seneca Falls, New York for the bridge scene, the new movie will be shot in Louisiana on a $25 million to $35 million budget.