Grown Ups 2 and a Bruce Almighty Sequel in the Works
Posted 01.13.12 by Ryan
It's finally happened. For the first time in his career, Adam Sandler is making a sequel. However, instead of going back to some of his revered comedies like 1996's Happy Gilmore or 1998's The Waterboy, Sandler is returning to his most financially successful movie, 2010's Grown Ups.
Almost universally disliked by critics, Grown Ups earned $271 million in worldwide box office, nearly as much as both of Sandler's 2011 movies, Just Go With It and Jack and Jill, combined. Coming Soon reports that Sony Pictures is targeting a July 12, 2013, release date for the sequel. Screenwriter Fred Wolf, who co-wrote Grown Ups with Sandler, is in negotiations to write the sequel.
According to the report, Sandler isn't completely locked for Grown Ups 2, but is expected to return along with his former Saturday Night Live co-stars, including David Spade, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, as well as Kevin James, who would all reprise their roles as five childhood friends coping with fatherhood.
Grown Ups isn't the only comedy getting a sequel. Variety reports that Universal is looking to create a sequel to 2003's Bruce Almighty that would bring back Jim Carrey as the TV reporter who is given the chance to be God for a week.
Of course, Bruce Almighty has already been given a sequel — of sorts — 2006's Evan Almighty, which saw Steve Carell reprise his Bruce role and build an ark at God's request. While Bruce was a huge success at the box office, Evan couldn't even make back its $175 million budget.
So far, progress on a Bruce Almighty sequel has been minimal with Universal only hiring screenwriters Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel (Hot Tub Time Machine, Yes Men) to write a followup. Whether Universal plans to use director Tom Shadyac, who helmed both Bruce and Evan, is unknown, though Shadyac has been more interested in humanitarian and political causes of late, as documented in his 2010 documentary I Am.