Based on a string of triumphant test screenings and a hit trailer at ShoWest, Warner Bros. had green-lit a sequel to The Hangover more than two months before it became the summer's biggest sleeper smash to date. Yet even more than clever marketing and extraordinary word of mouth, its estimated $43 million opening reflects the success of one phenomenally well-told joke: Three guys lose another on a depraved trip to Vegas. SPOILER ALERT: They find him. Even if the principals return (and they will), how do they follow that? This, dear reader, is where you come in. (Be advised, though: Real spoilers after the jump.)
As first reported back in April, director Todd Phillips is expected to rejoin the proceedings with stars Bradley Cooper, Zach Galafianakis and Ed Helms. Considering that none of their characters really knew each other prior to their misbegotten Vegas getaway, a prequel is most likely out. And the only real open story thread at the end of the film involves Helms's dentist doctor pledging to return to Vegas to visit his accidental escort bride, played by Heather Graham. When he does go back, his original roofie-gulping, tooth-extracting exploits probably aren't likely to reoccur.
So let's deduce the next step on our own right here at Movieline. And keep it to 25 words or less, just for the arbitrary, compact hell of it. I'll start:
ยท The gang returns to scam Vegas with Galifiankis's Rain Man trick. Gangster Ken Jeong sniffs them out, kidnaps Heather Graham and demands a cut.
Tag, you're it.