It’s awfully fitting that during the same week that I started writing my feature for the Worst Movies of 2011, the studio that gave us my choice for the Worst Movie of 2010 has announced that it wants a sequel. Sony has decided that the story of five childhood friends who reunite at a lake house after their lives had led them apart was worthy of another chapter despite having no plot point to continue. I watched Grown Ups – twice – and the only thought I had at the end was: “They should have stayed apart.”
I don’t need to guess why they’re trying to make this sequel. On a budget of $80 million, the original grossed $271 million worldwide. That’s good enough to make it the highest-grossing Happy Madison film in the history of a company founded on bad actors meeting Sandler at comedy clubs. In fact, it was so successful that Sandler purchased matching Maseratis for his co-stars, David Spade, Chris Rock, Kevin James and Rob Schneider.
So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Sony wants another tug on the teat of Sandler’s cash cow. However, according to Variety and my prayers, Sandler isn’t signed on for anything. Yet.
Sandler has never appeared in a sequel and he has no deal in place for “Grown Ups 2,” as his involvement is contingent on the script. Still, the fact that Sandler would be open to a reunion likely comes as music to Sony’s ears. Happy Madison had no comment.
I assume the company did have a comment, but its spokesperson is Peter Dante in a graduate’s gown, and he just yelled random statements, and when the reporter asked him to clarify, Nick Swardson accused him of not getting it.