Get Ready For Another HANGOVER

After months of tough negotiations, Warner Brothers (aka the only studio that knows what it's doing) has locked down the three stars and the original director of The Hangover, according to Mike Fleming over at Deadline. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis will each receive $5 million plus 4% of the first dollar gross. Director Todd Phillips will receive $10 million against 10%. This is a huge payday for everyone concerned, as the trio received approximately $300,000 each for the first film, with Phillips waiving some of his own money in order to get them signed. My first reaction to this news is: What about Justin Bartha? He was the fourth member of this group, and just because his character was missing for most of the first film doesn't mean he shouldn't be included here. He is part of their little group. Beyond that, my only real feeling is that they shouldn't make this thing. While it is obvious that Hangover 2 will make serious money, there seems to be little they can do that relates to the first film without being a retread. Do they get drugged again? Have another bachelor party? Do they need to piece together yet another night by following various clues? Anything that made the original feel so spontaneous and special will only feel regurgitated unless the sequel has the nerve to go off in a completely different direction. The characters are the selling point, and Warners was wise to re-sign this talented cast. But what can they do in the sequel that will differentiate it from the original while still keeping the same spark? Here are a few thoughts: 1. Do not call it Hangover 2. Like Be Cool was the sequel to Get Shorty, this film should have a different name. It could even be related to the storyline. But it should not be called Hangover 2. This film needs a separate identity; let the marketing link the two films. 2. Do not use the same storytelling device. The creative set-up to the original allowed for a certain amount of mystery to the story, which worked amazingly well. Repeating this device would be the kiss of death. 3. Contain Zach Galifianakis. Galifianakis was an out-of-left-field hit in the original, doled out in measured doses that hit every sweet spot. The inclination would be to make is weird character even weirder - don't do it. Allow the character to grow naturally and subtlety. Fortunately Galifianakis is a master of underplaying scenes. 4. Find some other male bonding activity besides bachelor parties. The real danger of a sequel to a film like this is what to do with them after this adventure. The film needs a way to bring this disparate group of guys back together - they could be on a golf outing somewhere, for instance - and a motivation that does not again involve weddings. 5. Incorporate the end-credit pictures again. The closing credit sequence with the pictures was one of the big highlights of the film, and the warmth it generated was a huge factor in the first film's success. This should be revisited in some form or another as a nod to the original, a type of signature for the series. 6. Resist the urge to go "bigger." Sequels often fall prey to the desire to give an audience MORE of something, when less would really do better. The sequel rises and falls on the shoulders of these characters, so they should be the focus. Fight to avoid going for too many over-the-top gags. The first film barely survived some of its more outlandish bits (Mike Tyson, for example), and the sequel shouldn't try to top it. Those are some of my thoughts on the sequel (if it must be made), which Warners intends to have out in theaters on Memorial Day 2011. Given the increased grosses for sequels to gross-out comedies like American Pie, I never had a doubt that Warners would pursue a sequel. In my heart, however, I secretly hoped it wouldn't happen. Films like The Hangover are wonderful surprises, and sequels almost always tarnish the shine of the original. A sequel never happened for Wedding Crashers, and that film is better for it. So it would be for The Hangover if it remained unmolested ... but, as always, money trumps common sense every time.