There are certain comedies that you just have to watch whenever they are on; titles that are infinitely re-watchable and whose dialogue has become a permanent part of pop culture. Movies like Office Space, Zoolander and Super Troopers all fall into this category. Another film that fits that bill is the 2004 comedy Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. The hilarious film is a modern classic, and fans have been waiting fourteen years for a sequel. But sadly, it looks like that bold strategy will not pay off, as writer and director Rawson Marshall Thurber has no intention of making Dodgeball 2. The director explained this saying:
I really appreciate how much people love that movie. It's near and dear to my heart, but I feel like I said everything I needed to say in one film.
I'm sure this news feels like a wrench to the face for many fans of the original, but Rawson Marshall Thurber seems settled on the matter. Apparently the director gets asked about the possibility of a Dodgeball 2 all the time, but that isn't enough to sway him. As he told The Hollywood Reporter, he simply said everything he had to say in the first film, and although Dodgeball is special to him as his first feature film, that isn't enough to justify a sequel. That seemingly puts the matter to bed at least for now. So waiting and wishing for Dodgeball 2 at this point is about as useful as a poopy-flavored lollipop.
It is frankly somewhat surprising that a Dodgeball 2 never happened. The original made $167 million on a $20 million budget and is a beloved film. In this age of nostalgia, reboots and long-awaited sequels, the time would seemingly be ideal for Dodgeball 2. Years ago, there was a writer brought on board to script the sequel film, but obviously that never bore fruit onscreen. Those who would like to see Vince Vaughn's Peter La Fleur and Ben Stiller's White Goodman squaring off once again can check out a video they did last year for a charity campaign. But that's all of the dodgeball goodness available until ESPN finally decides to launch The Ocho. I suppose it's still possible that Dodgeball 2 could happen without Rawson Marshall Thurber, depending on the rights, but the man who made the original classic wouldn't be involved.
This news is a bit of a bummer, and coming on the heels of the doubts about Bill and Ted 3, it feels like a one-two punch that has us bleeding our own blood. However, the success record of comedy sequels in general and especially those coming after a long gap of time since the original is pretty bad. Zoolander 2 and Dumb and Dumber To both failed to capture the magic of the original films, so perhaps Dodgeball is better left alone instead of risking tainting it with a subpar sequel. If Rawson Marshall Thurber felt strongly that he had another story in that world to tell, then it would be different, but maybe it's better to leave that dodgeball trophy on the mantle for now.
While Dodgeball 2 doesn't look likely, you can check out Rawson Marshall Thurber's new film, Skyscraper, in theaters now. Check out our release schedule for all of the biggest movies hitting theaters this year. If you too like to break a mental sweat, stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all the latest movie news.
