Pitching Sequels

[Modal Seoul he/him]

I've always appreciated movies, especially as of late. So this thread will let people show their appreciation for their favorite movies by pitching a sequel(or prequel)! No matter how ludicrous it sounds, no matter how bad, you can pitch it. I will start with a pitch to one of my favorites, Princess Mononoke.

 

Call of the Forest: Two months after the death of the Great Forest Spirit, Irontown is again producing iron, but at a slower rate as the town is not fully rebuilt yet. Ashitaka spends three days with the people of Irontown, then three days with San. Lady Eboshi now uses trees sparingly, respecting nature. Life is well.

Jigo returns to the Emperor empty-handed, but the Emperor is extremely angry. He decides to exact his vengeance by executing San and seizing control of Irontown. He sends Jigo to carry out his orders, with the threat of death if he fails again. Jigo is hesitant to confront the gods of the forest again, but has no choice.

The apes of the forest have succeeded in planting more trees, but are very distrustful of Irontown. Ashitaka negotiates with them, but they are interrupted by warriors of Lord Asano. In the following skirmish, the leader of the ape tribe is killed.

Enraged, the apes swear to destroy the humans. Ashitaka tries to convince San to help them, but she refuses. Feeling defeated, Ashitaka travels to the center of the forest, to the former home of the Great Forest Spirit to seek some sort of guidance.

Jigo arrives in the valley with an imperial army. Lord Asano meets with them, and strikes a deal, gaining half of all production in Irontown. In exchange, he swears loyalty to the Emperor. The two armies begin marching towards Irontown.

San and the wolves detect the approaching threat, and warn Ashitaka. He rides to Irontown and warns the people. Lady Eboshi sends the men, led by Gonza, to meet the threat. Ashitaka accompanies them.

The opposing sides meet in a deep pass, surrounded by the cliffs. San, mind in turmoil, decides to aid the people of Irontown. As the two sides begin to clash, the apes ambush them and cause the cliff faces to collapse. The rockslide kills many, including Asano, Gonza, and one of the wolves.

The remaining men of Irontown retreat, led by Kohroku. San and the remaining wolf attack Jigo and the remainders of the two armies, despite Ashitaka’s pleas. The wolf is badly wounded and retreats, while San is captured. Outnumbered, Ashitaka is forced to retreat as well.

In Irontown, Ashitaka tries to persuade Lady Eboshi to send men to retrieve San. Eboshi refuses, concerned for the people. She orders the gates to be closed. Furious, Ashitaka sneaks his way out, and Kohroku accompanies him, intending to help.

Meanwhile, San fights viciously against her captors. The men begin to be tempted, but Jigo orders them to stop. Jigo begins to question where his loyalty lies, and if serving the Emperor is the wisest decision now.

Ashitaka and Kohroku continue to pursue them, and they are attacked by the apes. They successfully evade them, but Kohroku worries that they will attack the weakened Irontown. Meanwhile, the last wolf has been corrupted, and turns into a demon. It begins to follow the trail of Jigo’s army.

During the night, several soldiers attempt to rape San, but she breaks free and kills them. Jigo makes a decision, and lets her go, telling her to run away and keep the forest safe. Jigo then arrives in the capital. The Emperor has Jigo executed, but Jigo is satisfied that he will leave with a clear conscience.

The apes begin to surround Irontown, becoming bolder and attacking the walls. Lady Eboshi is forced to post extra guards during the night.

San reunites with Ashitaka, and they decide to return to Irontown as quickly as possible. They catch a glimpse of the demon on the journey back, but it pays them no mind. Ashitaka, San and Kohroku return to Irontown, but are ambushed by apes. They manage to make it in, but not before three apes slip through the gate.

The apes begin to ravage the town. Ashitaka rallies the people, and they fight back. But then, an explosion critically damages the west wall, and the entire ape tribe invades. The people of Irontown fight back.

San fights the apes as well, but is cornered. Lady Eboshi saves San and suffers a fatal blow. In her last moments, she makes Toki, Kohroku’s wife, the lady of Irontown. After destroying the armory, the apes suddenly leave, taking the bodies of men.

In the capital, the Emperor plans to destroy Irontown. A disturbance is heard at the front gates, and he hears the shouts of “Demon!” Panicking, he seals the inner palace, but the demon bursts in. It kills the Emperor and many samurai lords before being eradicated by a rudimentary cannon.

Ashitaka succumbs to a wound he sustained during the battle. San is devastated. Ashitaka admits that humans are flawed, and will never be at peace with nature. He tells San to travel to the east, where the Emishi people live, and fewer disturbances in nature happen. Ashitaka asks Toki and Kohroku to rebuild Irontown, but use it for good, not destruction. He then dies.

Distraught, San takes Yakul and Ashitaka’s body into the forest. She buries Ashitaka on the island of the spring of the Nightwalker. Deciding to heed Ashitaka’s last wish, she begins to travel east with Yakul. When she stops to sleep, she discovers she is pregnant.

The last shot of the film shows several kodama sit on Ashitaka’s grave.