In news that will surprise only sillies, The Hangover 3 is already in the works via a script go-ahead from Warner Brothers to scribe Craig Mazin. The screenwriter will begin working on a follow up to the record-breaking sequel, which has grossed $200m dollars already.
Currently these are just “talks,” but shit’s gonna happen. Believe it.
As THR points out, what’s funny is that it actually took WB longer to get this going than they did Part II, as the sequel script was ordered before the first film even came out. You could have never guessed this franchise would be worth so much goddamned money in a pitch, but once the studio did they hit it hard.
Mazin worked with Phillips and Scott Armstrong for the second film, and may again for the third at some point, but for the moment he is taking lead on this screenplay. Both Mazin and Phillips have discussed the idea of a sequel ad nauseum during promotion for Hangover 2, with Mazin even throwing out a hypothetical ending to the entire franchise to Devin at BadassDigest.
I think the third movie ends with Doug staring at a row of crosses in a graveyard. It’s everyone – his wife, his family is dead, everybody from the first movie is dead. Somebody shows up and tells him his dog is dead.
That’s a cute joke and all, but I really do hope it’s reasonably close to what will end up being the ending to the trilogy. It’s hard to get excited for a sequel to a film I only kind of liked, but as I said in our video review, I’m actually interested in a Hangover sequel that goes dark and plays for keeps. The grunginess of the location and the nastiness of a few events in The Hangover 2 indicate Phillips and co. have the potential to let out that kind of darkness, but with the franchise breaking all records and being given license to come to a close, I pray Phillips goes full force.
How amazing would that be if the films wrapped up with a truly dark capper that unleashed irreparable physical and mental damage on these characters in a fully psychopathic and morally bankrupt manner? Imagine a blockbuster-scaled rug-puller, like Seth Rogan’s unexpectedly twisted turn in Observe & Report. I could be down with that. Of course, it should also go without saying that they need to get a couple of new jokes while they’re at it.
Dicks and grime and raunch have paid off so far, so I encourage Phillips to dig deep in his black soul and for Warner Brother to empower him to do so. Hell, if all the reports of on-set nastiness and disagreements are true, that may be the only way to get Galafianakis back- let him go really nuts.
Also, Warner Brothers, maybe get all your copyright ducks in a row this time out.
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