Anyone who went into this weekend unsure whether Dick Tracy knows how to use Zoom has now received a clear answer.
A new program called "Dick Tracy Special: Tracy Zooms In" was released late Friday night by Turner Classic Movies. The actor who played Dick Tracy in the film of the same name is Ben Mankiewicz and Leonard Maltin, who chat about his life and his displeasure with Beatty's film. (In this universe, Beatty's Dick Tracy is a real person who exists separate from the film "Dick Tracy," which "Dick" talked about in the first TCM special from 2010.
Before they decide to call Beatty to settle Tracy's issues once and for all, Beatty responds to the call as himself, where he finally reconciles with Tracy and they agree to pursue a more collaborative relationship in the event Beatty makes a sequel.
Many speculate that the special was developed as a way for Beatty to reclaim the legal rights to the character in a "Larry King Live"-style setting. In 2011, a U.S. District Court ruled that by producing the special, Beatty had done enough work with the character to avoid returning the rights to their original owners.
Beatty approached TCM about making the second special, possible because the rights are approaching expiration, according to sources.
Beatty, who has always stated that he would like to do a sequel to "Dick Tracy," was said to be planning it as recently as 2016. So fans should probably not hold their breath about "Dick Tracy 2."
Christian Blauvelt has provided additional reporting.
Tracy Zooms In, a "Dick Tracy Special" is now available.