Oliver Stone Explains How Modern Greed Led to 'Wall Street' Sequel (VIDEO)

When Oliver Stone directed 'Wall Street' in 1987, he never envisioned creating a sequel. But, modern events, such as the crash of the economy in 2008 and rampant greed by banks gave rise to the upcoming 'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,' he said on 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM ET on NBC).

Stone said he thought the 'Wall Street' storyline had come to an end with the original movie, but the 2008 crash inspired him to create a second installment. "I thought it was over. I thought that whole era would change and we'd come to the end of that moment of excess that went on for 20 years," he said. "I did the new film because of the 2008 crash and that made me rethink that as a backdrop."

The director also said he's surprised by how prevalent greed still is today, noting that the film's anti-hero Gordon Gekko has been replaced by money-amassing financial institutions. "Gekko has been replaced by the banks," Stone said. "He was first replaced by the hedge funds, then the banks. The greed is amazing. $100 million, I'd say, to own ... a business in those days is now a billion dollars ... A big hedge fund starts with a billion dollars. So, we're talking big money now. Bigger than I ever dreamed."