With Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps premiering tonight, the streets of Cannes are buzzing off the charts. Oliver Stone's highly anticipated film has been generating even more talk since announcing its decision to push its release date from April to September, when Stone accepted Cannes' invitation to premiere his film at the 2010 festival. This will be Stone's first full-length film screening at the Cannes Film Festival, and Robin Hood's less-than-stellar reception only adds to the excitement surrounding the long-awaited sequel. The success and controversy surrounding the original Wall Street, which hit theaters over two decades ago in 1987, begs the question of whether a sequel could reach the same level of achievement. Michael Douglas revisits his Oscar-winning role of Gordon Gekko, and newcomer Shia Labeouf takes on his most prominent role yet.

The original Wall Street film caused a stir in the 80s, when Douglas' character, the manipulative, stockmarket big-shot Gordon Gekko, (who could forget his motto: "Greed is good,") became something of an icon to real-life Wall Street hopefuls rather than a cautionary tale. Over 20 years later, the release of Wall Street 2 seems rather timely considering the current economic crisis, but Stone insists that his film is not a news piece, according to an interview in New York Magazine. The film is meant to be a purely fictional story, but it's relevance to current events is difficult to ignore. 

There is speculation about how well audiences will respond to such a business-oriented film, considering the general public doesn't always flock to, or understand for that matter, corporate-minded productions. Douglas' well-established character is sure to bring back fans of the original film, and Labeouf and Mulligan's newfound stardom might just be enough to draw support from the younger generations. The film's all-star cast is sure to bring out other A-listers for tonight's premiere, and something in the air tells me tonight's red carpet is going to be even more outrageous than Robin Hood's on opening night. The world will be anxiously awaiting reviews of Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps. Will Shia hold his own with legendary Douglas, or will this talked-up film fall flat with film goers? For now, only time will tell.

Lauren Ellison