via Warner Bros.

Gallery: 9 Modern Comedies With Major Sequel Potential

We Got This Covered looks at several 21st century comedy successes, big-budget and independent, that could use a sequel (or two).

Jordan Adler

Published: Mar 19, 2015 03:35 pm

This article is over 11 years old and may contain outdated information

One may think there is not much left in the story of convicted murderer Bernie Tiede, from Richard Linklater’s criminally overlooked Texas-set comedy. Since the film’s 2012 release, however, Tiede was released from prison to much controversy. (The condition was he live in Austin with Linklater.) Given the success of the comedy’s blend of fiction and documentary, more colorful reactions from the various Carthage citizens on the recent events would be sublime. Meanwhile, given the speculation of how Linklater’s film helped to change the legal verdict, there is much room for a follow-up to feature sly meta-commentary.

With its Adult Swim spinoff now at an end, there is some renewed interest over whether this Blaxploitation spoof (and cult hit) could see another round on the big screen. The film’s profile has grown tremendously since a brief theatrical run in 2009, and fan demand for a sequel is now there. Michael Jai White, who also co-wrote the original’s script, showed great attitude and stoicism in the title role. There are definitely a lot of new opportunities for the character if a sequel were to be comissioned, as well as many more classic genre conventions to mock.

With so much attention (and money) going to The Hangover in the summer of 2009, this R-rated bromance from earlier that year has been too often ignored. However, the original film showed that second fiddle Paul Rudd could be a game leading man, and his chemistry with Jason Segel was first-rate. With brawnier turns from both actors expected this year (Rudd in Ant Man, Segal in The End of the Tour), perhaps it is time for the comedy actors to get back to their roots, and give Peter Klaven and Sydney Fife another shot.

With the one-two punch of Iron Man and Tropic Thunder, Robert Downey Jr. was the comeback kid of 2008. However, the role that indicated a new shift in his trajectory was as aloof, wisecracking Harry Lockhart in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Shane Black’s acerbically funny L.A. thriller also showed off the comic chops of Val Kilmer, who could use more time in the spotlight. With the film’s profile having grown substantially since its brief time in multiplexes 10 years ago – as well as Downey’s newfound stardom – the time is ripe to catch up with the pulpy misadventures of Harry and Perry.

As Bridesmaids ensured, this summer’s schedule is full of female-powered comedies (Hot Pursuit, Spy, Pitch Perfect II). However, those looking for a less broad, more character-driven comedy focused on flawed, funny women should check out Nicole Holofcener’s Lovely and Amazing. With bracing humor, the film looks at a family of women (played by Catherine Keener, Emily Mortimer, Brenda Blethyn and Raven Goodwin) trying to overcome problems with life, love and work. Lovely and Amazing was an indie milestone back in 2001 and it would be amazing to see what the Marks matriarchs are up to, nearly 15 years later.

How come Disney is set on releasing a sequel to the poorly received Alice in Wonderland next summer while there is no word on a new chapter to another early-year Johnny Depp hit? The animated comedy is stuffed to the brim with original characters, dazzling action sequences and zany callbacks to classic Westerns, giving kids and adults something to laugh at. With so much offbeat humor in Gore Verbinski’s film, surely there are some wacky ideas to keep exploring with our favorite gun-slinging chameleon.

Anchorman 2 may have been a largely laugh-free affair, but the dynamite chemistry between Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly in the 2008 comedy suggests a follow-up to Step Brothers would offer much more. One could say that tales of middle-aged men going through an arrested development is no longer new or original. However, Ferrell and Reilly are too reliable in churning out laughs. It would be hilarious to see what happens when Brennan and Dale, the aloof man-children the funny men portrayed, have to start their own families, wouldn’t it?

Argentina’s Oscar nominee for foreign language film has been only a modest hit in North America (where it currently plays in limited release), but was a big success internationally. The darkly funny stories of violence and vengeance made the film one of the most talked about on the festival circuit in 2014. In an interview for We Got This Covered, director Damián Szifron even admitted he has been thinking of more wild tales for a possible sequel. If the new stories are even half as rude or refreshing as the ones from his current crowd-pleaser, then audiences will still be delighted.

Rich Moore’s love letter to the video game universe was not just a wildly original blast but also one of Disney’s most progressive films in recent memory. (Thank you, Vanellope von Schweetz.) Similar to how the Toy Story films had its sequels deal with an expanded universe of toys, a follow-up to Wreck-it Ralph could include many characters and worlds that were not in the original film. With a game cast of comic actors willing to reprise their roles, it is a shame that Disney is not fast-tracking a fun follow-up to this retro-tinted smash.

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Author

Jordan Adler

Jordan Adler is a film buff who consumes so much popcorn, he expects that a coroner's report will one day confirm that butter runs through his veins. A recent graduate of Carleton's School of Journalism, where he also majored in film studies, Jordan's writing has been featured in Tribute Magazine, the Canadian Jewish News, Marketing Magazine, Toronto Film Scene, ANDPOP and SamaritanMag.com. He is also working on a feature-length screenplay.