UPDATE: Nikki Finke has updated her previous post with the following, saying Bardem is not yet on board, but is the desired actor for the role:

Twentieth Century Fox execs on Wednesday clarified a few of my details about Wall Street 2. Javier Bardem is not onboard yet, but "he is who we want" to play the stock-shorting hedge fund manager set up in the story as the villain. Oliver Stone hasn't met with him yet, and the studio hasn't negotiated his deal yet. The start date is now at the end of August, not August 10th. And, as of right now, there is no release date although my sources said February 2010 is contemplated. Otherwise, spot on.

The original post follows.

I have a hard time believing the script for Oliver Stone's upcoming Wall Street 2 would allow for Michael Douglas to return as Gordon Gekko and have the one-time Wall Street big wig come back as the good guy of all things. However, Nikki Finke's new report, which cites Javier Bardem as the film's antagonist doesn't say Gekko will be the good guy as much as it simply says Bardem will play "a stock-shorting worldwide hedge fund manager" whom Shia LaBeouf's character suspects is behind the unexpected death of his mentor.

The film, which Finke reports is set to begin filming on August 10th for a February 2010 release date, will take place from June 2008 through the federal bailout with Douglas' Gekko on the fringe of the financial community following a 21 year prison term as a result of the first film. Gekko's role will be as something of a Nostradamus cautioning Wall Street that the "end is coming" all while trying to repair his ruptured relationship with his daughter, a role that is still yet-to-be-cast.

Finke also confirms LaBeouf is definitely cast as his participation was something of a 50/50 note earlier on and he will play something of the Charlie Sheen role as a young Wall Street go-getter who wants to be a major player and is supposedly engaged to be married to Gekko's estranged daughter.

As for my assumptions on Gekko, I have to believe he will somehow come out on top after all is said and done. My guess is the film will offer economically disheartened audience members a one-two punch with Bardem's character falling while Gekko succeeds showing there is no end to corporate corruption. I just wonder how the LaBeouf character will end up once all is said and done. Should be interesting.

There are a few more details to look over in Finke's report if you are interested, but remember even Finke isn't saying this is 100% solid intel. Get the rest here.

Related post categories: Rumor Monger : Javier Bardem, Wall Street 2

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