Talkback: Who Wants a Bridesmaids 2 Without Kristen Wiig?
As someone who sparked to Paul Feig's Bridesmaids back when it first played SXSW last year in no small part because it gave Kristen Wiig the showcase she deserved, it's hard to imagine a Bridesmaids sequel going forward without the SNL star. But with Wiig reportedly reluctant to reprise her role for another go-round with the Universal hit that seems a very good possibility, according to The Hollywood Reporter. And so I ask, fellow Bridesmaids fans: Who wants a Bridesmaids 2 without Wiig?
The better question is, who wants a Bridesmaids 2? The first film struck a chord because it was fresh, a welcome respite from the usual rom-coms farted out by mainstream Hollywood. That came from Wiig and co-writer Annie Mumolo, who lent Bridesmaids an authentic sweetness borne from personal experience and their real life friendship and, with director Feig, tapped a bevy of ultra talented (and under-utilized) supporting funny ladies -- elements rare in studio productions, let alone sequels or adaptations aiming to recreate some formula of success.
Which is what a Bridesmaids sequel would be, of course: an attempt to keep the streak going. The $288 million hit was a gamble that paid off for Universal, and this is a studio whose chief has not, shall we say, played coy about his overriding agenda of making money.
But, per THR's report, Wiig doesn't seem anxious to don the awful pink dress again, no matter how much money Universal head Ron Meyer is said to dangle in front of her. And this is perhaps the best argument against even attempting another Bridesmaids movie. If one of the driving creative forces behind Bridesmaids has moved on to other projects and isn't compelled to make a sequel, why should anyone else demand more?
Maybe you want to see where cast breakout and likely sequel star Melissa McCarthy goes in another Bridesmaids story. Maybe you just want another "Hold On" moment to share with your girlfriends or watch grown women poop in the street. Maybe that would all work, again, if Universal, who are "talking with filmmakers now about concepts" for a sequel, are able to recapture lightning in a bottle. And goodness knows this happens all the time with action franchises (Bourne and Bond, I'm looking at you). But wouldn't you rather see another Bridesmaids-esque film instead of another actual Bridesmaids -- a different, original story that tells the experience of real modern women without skimping on sweetness or raunch?
Weigh in below!
• Universal Considering 'Bridesmaids' Sequel Without Kristen Wiig [THR]
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Comments
If, thanks to Stephanie Z.'s pan, I didn't even see the first one -- and I like Kristen Wiig a lot -- I seriously doubt I'll see the next one.
Make it a "spin-off". Or better yet, don't make the movie at all, seeing that Get Him to the Greek underperformed.
As much as I adored, quoted, and tried to act like the cast of Brides Maids with my best girl friends, I would hate to see a sequel be done and have me feeling annoyed like I did with the Hangover II. Something that good should be left alone and not try to be recreated. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see the cast reunited (Wiig definitely included), but if its going to happen then a fresh new angle to the storyline needs to accompany it.
Wiig is valuable for her behind-the-scenes contributions, but onscreen she didn't add a thing that any other actor couldn't have done better. In fact, as I watched I kept picturing better people in her role: Sandra Bullock, Anna Faris, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Drew Barrymore, the rest of the women in Bridesmaids, the rest of the men in Bridesmaids... the list goes on!
I disagree. I keep hearing praise for megan mccarthy but I honestly think the standout actress in Bridesmaids was definitely Wiig. What made Bridesmaids work so well was the subtleties in Annie's facial expressions whenever something happened to her. It was believable that Wiig's Annie was a down on her luck girl stuck in a "relationship" with a guy who doesn't appreciate her because she's down on herself. It really bugs me that she doesn't get any of the praise she deserves for her magnificent performance
Absolutely, 100% agree, Maggie. I'm not interested in a Bridesmaids movie without her.
If you'd seen her in SNL week-in and week-out, you'd have been as tired of her facial expressions as I was by the time the movie came out.
Still loved the movie, but Maya Rudolph and Melissa McCarthy made it.
Jon Hamm stoke their scenes together, as did Chris O'Dowd.
Nothing against Wiig, I just don't think she was all that different than I've ever seen her in anything else she's done.
A "Bridemaids" sequel would be the only way it could work, even/especially if Wiig was not involved, because a "Bridesmaids"-esque movie would just lead to a flood of so-called "Bridesmaids"-esque titles from other studios - which I bet has already been in the works since last May.
NAILED IT! Wiig's acting pretty much consists solely of facial tics. She wasn't as bad as she has been in other movies, like Ghost Town or MacGruber or Adventureland or Knocked Up. The biggest problem with her here is that she pretty much deserves all the bad stuff that happens to her. A better actor would've made you like her even though she's basically an annoying loser throughout the entire film.
I dont want a Bridesmaids 2 - I want a TV SERIES !!!!!!!!!!!!
I did like Bridemaids but the fact the Kristen Wiig does not want to do a sequal bothers me so much. I mean cant you see that your audience(which you own your fame) love to see you. I think that is disrecpecful toward us. I hope you read this and I am sure as hell I would never watch something you will ever make.