A sequel to the 1996 Peter and Bob Farrelly comedy, Kingpin, is currently in development at Village Roadshow Pictures. The original film starred Woody Harrelson, Bill Murray and Randy Quaid and arrived at a time when the Farrellys were coming off the monumental success of Dumb & Dumber. Though Kingpin was nowhere near the success that Dumb & Dumber was, it helped further raise the Farrellys' profile – the likes of which skyrocketed with the 1999 release of There’s Something About Mary.
In recent years, Farrelly Brothers films have arguably lacked the magic that was offered in their earlier projects. Their mixture of goofy subject matter and crass laughs was unique in its ability to genuinely charm audiences, and although there are more unmemorable Farrelly films than memorable ones, the films that did make an impact at the box office are largely considered comedic classics. With its tale of a former star bowler (Harrelson) looking to find a shot at redemption via the talents of a clueless Amish bowler (Quaid), Kingpin wasn’t exactly the follow up that Dumb & Dumber fans had been hoping for. That being said, the passage of time has left an air of nostalgia around the film and today – largely thanks to the hilarious antagonism of Murray’s Ernie “Big Ern” McCracken, it retains a following.
Despite being forgotten by many who weren’t all that impressed with Kingpin the first time around, it now appears that a sequel is in the works. According to Collider, the Farrellys are behind the development of a Kingpin 2, with the famed comedic filmmaking duo confirmed as producers. At present, there’s no word as to whether or not the Farrellys will end up either directing or writing the script, but for fans of the original film, the biggest takeaway is that an official follow-up is actually now in development.
Beyond questions of what sort of involvement the Farrelly’s will have on Kingpin 2, the next biggest issue is likely whether or not either Harrelson or Murray will return. In recent years, Quaid has exiled himself from Hollywood, and his life has become a tangle of legal issues as well as conspiracy ridden rants that are typically broadcast across social media and YouTube. In other words, it’s highly doubtful that Quaid will have any part in a Kingpin sequel. As for Harrelson and Murray, however, there’s no reason to believe that either of them won’t at least consider a return. Unfortunately, the fact that the original film bombed, could limit the amount of enthusiasm that Harrelson – who has become a much bigger star since 1996, or Murray can muster for the concept. Conversely, both Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels returned for the Farrellys' 2014 Dumb & Dumber sequel, but as previously mentioned, Dumb & Dumber was far more successful than Kingpin ever was.
It’s still currently very early days for Kingpin 2, with no indication as to what the plot could focus on or who will be involved and to what capacity. The smart move here, considering how poorly the first film fared at the box office, would be for the Farrellys to make this their next directorial effort. That wouldn’t necessarily guarantee a hit, but fans of the original film would certainly feel more comfortable knowing that the Farrellys were in charge. Only time will tell where this sequel goes, but for now at least, official news of a Kingpin sequel is enough for all those out there who’ve been waiting 25 years to see more.
Source: Collider