The original movie is considered one of the funniest comedies of the last decade, but here’s why Step Brothers 2 won’t happen. Step Brothers paired Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as two immature adults who are forced to become stepbrothers when their parents get married. While they initially hate each other they eventually bond and try to become functioning grown-ups.

While Step Brothers was a success during its original release, its reputation has only grown over time. It works as a broad comedy but there’s also a touching family drama at the movie’s core. While fans have been hoping for a sequel ever since the original came out, Ferrell, Reilly, and director Adam McKay (The Big Short) have resisted the impulse. Ferrell and Reilly recently reunited on lambasted comedy Holmes & Watson, but for now, any hope of Step Brothers 2 seems bleak.

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Here’s why Step Brothers 2 will likely never happen.

A Story For Step Brothers 2 Exists

Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly in Step Brothers

One of the reasons McKay, Reilly, and Ferrell have resisted going back to Step Brothers is that comedy sequels, for the most part, tend to be disappointing. That said, fans have been demanding Step Brothers 2 for years, so various concepts have been pitched. One idea would have seen the brothers start a sequel as functioning adults with jobs, and one of them being married with a child. Of course, their natural immaturity threatens that so they go back to square one and then have to rebuild their lives.

The idea that actually came close to being produced was the brothers following their long-suffering parents into a retirement home, feeling they’ve also earned the right to retire. Instead of moving forward with Step Brothers 2, Ferrell and McKay pushed ahead with a sequel to their other cult comedy Anchorman.

Anchorman 2 Killed Any Chance Of Step Brothers 2

Will Ferrell in Anchorman 2

Anchorman 2 was another sequel fans had begged for, and McKay felt that after avoiding sequels for a long time, it might be a fun creative challenge. The 2013 sequel was an even bigger success than the original, but both the reviews and fan response was mixed. McKay more or less ruled out further sequels after that, including Anchorman 3 and Step Brothers 2. He’s since more on to more dramatic material like Vice.

The mixed response to Anchorman 2 seems to have put Ferrell off Step Brothers 2 also, and John C. Reilly has stated sequels aren’t an exciting prospect. The resoundingly negative response to Holmes & Watson is unlikely to convince the studio to push for a sequel either, so unless something dramatic happens to change the minds of the key creatives, Step Brothers 2 is very unlikely to happen.

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