What Men Want didn’t win the box office this weekend and reviews for the film have only been middling. However, the movie brought in a healthy $19 million dollars on a reported $20 million budget and should start making money in the coming weeks in theaters. With that in mind, are director Adam Shankman and producer Will Packer interested in a sequel to the reenvisioned title? Adam Shankman told CinemaBlend he actually has an idea featuring Erykah Badu’s wild character, noting,
They’re always like, ‘Well, if it works maybe we’ll do a sequel.' And I’m like, what the sequel could be is… Put it this way, Sister’s involved.
Speaking with CinemaBlend’s Hannah Saulic, Adam Shankman revealed the studio is always looking for ways to continue stories through sequels. Well, that is if the original movie does well. While he wasn’t a producer on the movie this time around, he did say “in [his] head” he’s been mulling over a few things, including a sequel involving Sister.
Honestly, the tricky part is figuring out exactly what to make a sequel about in general. Will Packer also mentioned to us that he feels the real reason audiences invest in What Men Want is because of Taraji P. Henson’s character, who – sort-of spoiler – ends up in a happy spot at the end of the movie. A sequel starring her character may not make as much sense as riffing off of Sister's character, especially since the gift is the focal point. Or, as Packer put it,
I dunno if you take this story, continue it. Some stories like lend themselves into [more]. I think you definitely are invested in her character but it’s so much about the conceit of the gift that she has.
In What Men Want, Erykah Badu’s character is a psychic and maybe drug dealer who gives Taraji P. Henson’s Ali the tea that starts her on the long journey. Her tea doesn't cause the gift, but it does cause Ali to get pretty effed up to the point where she hits her head which then somehow magically yields her the gift. Sister later reveals to Ali that she tried the tea herself, but that it didn't work in the same way for her as it did for Ali. There's no reason that the mystical and weird Sister could not really be the conduit for other characters to receive the gift in a follow-up.
But don’t take my word for it. You can hear Will Packer and Adam Shankman talking about the potential from more in the What Men Want universe, below.
Hearing thoughts is a power that can be good and bad. It's a trope that has come up in other properties, from True Blood to Midnight, Texas. It will likely be a while before Paramount decided whether or not there's enough of a reason to bring back What Men Want for a second round, but we'll be sure to keep you posted either way. In the meantime, you can catch What Men Want in theaters and check out its competition at the box office with our full movie premiere guide.
