Brolin to Replace Bardem in 'Wall Street' Sequel?

Last week, we reported that Javier Bardem was backing out of the sequel to Wall Street, tentatively titled Money Never Sleeps because he has about five other projects on his plate to choose from. That's a big loss, because as No Country for Old Men proved, Bardem can play a hell of a bad guy, friendo. Now Nikki Finke writes that an offer has gone to the object of Bardem's evil intentions in No Country, Josh Brolin. A recent Oscar nominee, Brolin's bona fides from the past couple of years needs no introduction, but just in case: American Gangster, Grindhouse, No Country, In the Valley of Elah, W., and Milk. So we know he's up to the challenge, but there are two really good reasons Brolin might be a perfect fit: His villain in American Gangster was one of the best things about that movie, and Brolin and director Oliver Stone found some common ground on the actor's portrayal of George W. Bush. Not a great movie, but Brolin pulled out a great performance in difficult circumstances. If he takes the role, he'll play a hedge fund honcho who may or may not be responsible for the death of Shia LaBeouf's mentor. Shia, in turn, leans on Michael Douglas, returning as Gordon Gekko. Gekko is out of prison after a couple of decades and Shia is engaged to his estranged daughter. Shia proposes that if Gekko helps him exact revenge on (Brolin) that he'll lay the groundwork for Gekko to reconcile with his daughter. Although the basic concept sounds a little too much like a Dallas-era nighttime soap opera plot, you've got to bring Gekko back somehow. Or at least, if you're making a sequel you do, and the time will never be better for that sequel. Unless you can go back to last September. Brolin brings a little more star presence to the movie, and I think it needs it. Stone isn't a big selling point, and neither is Douglas anymore. Shia has his fans, but this is a different kettle of fish. The combination of all of them, though, makes it a more solid prospect commercially. I'm still leery of a February release date on this, though. That seems like they're really going to have to work quickly.