Paul Feig Wants To Do A Sequel To His 31% RT Movie And Already Has A Story For It

Paul Feig is interested in making a sequel to one of his less favorably received movies and already has a story for it. After directing the 2003 drama, I Am David, Feig became known for working on comedy films. Bridesmaids, starring Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph, garnered praise upon its release, hilariously chronicling a maid of honor’s pre-wedding responsibilities. Becoming one of his most successful movies to date, Bridesmaids was quickly followed by other commercial hits, The Heat and Spy, both starring Melissa McCarthy.

Feig also helmed the 2016 Ghostbusters, led by Wiig, McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones, which underperformed at the box office, given its lofty budget. Since then, he has directed the comedy thriller A Simple Favor, portraying Stephanie Smothers’ investigation into the mysterious vanishing of her new friend, Emily Nelson, and an adaptation of The School for Good and Evil on Netflix. Now, a sequel to the former, titled Another Simple Favor, is set to stream on Prime Video in May, with Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively reprising their roles.

Paul Feig Considers A Jackpot Sequel

The 2024 Comedy Film Was Poorly Received

Jackpot!, directed by Feig, follows Katie (Awkwafina), a lottery winner who becomes targeted as part of its game, and must stay safe to redeem her prize. Along with Awkwafina, the cast of Jackpot! includes Simu Liu, Dolly De Leon, Ayden Mayeri, and John Cena. The comedy was released on Prime Video in 2024, but reactions were underwhelming, as evidenced by the critical Rotten Tomatoes score, which currently stands at 31%.

Speaking with ScreenRant at SXSW for Another Simple Favor‘s premiere, Feig expressed interest in making a Jackpot! sequel. The director revealed, “I love Jackpot,” despite its poor critical reception, and teased that he has an idea for a second installment. While sequels are not always top of mind, he explained that Spy and Jackpot! “would be the best served by another sequel.” Read Feig’s comments below:

Thank you, thank you. Jackpot 2–you made my day with that. I love Jackpot. The critics didn’t like it, but I loved it. I already know what I want the story for Jackpot 2 to be.

I’m not going to go try to make all my movies into sequels–I like doing original things and new ideas–but I would say that those two would probably be the ones that would be the best served by another sequel.

Feig revealed that Cena could potentially return for a sequel, having enjoyed working on Jackpot! He added that Liu, whose character died by a grenade in the film, would not be able to come back. Read more of Feig’s quote below:

Oh, yeah, totally. We had so much fun. John and Nora and I just had the best time. Simu can’t come back for the sequel, obviously, because he blew up.

What This Could Mean For Jackpot

Would A Possible Sequel Work?

Given how audiences responded to Jackpot!, a sequel would likely be unexpected, but with Feig teasing that he already has a story, it could draw viewers back, should another movie ever come to fruition. Presently, the film holds a 51% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting that interest in Jackpot 2 may be limited. However, Paul Feig has a relatively strong track record, so a sequel can still work, especially depending on the concept and talent involved.

Movie

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Jackpot!

Release Date

August 15, 2024

Runtime

104 Minutes

Director

Paul Feig

Writers

Rob Yescombe