Nordling here.
I understand Universal's concern. They've had a rough couple of years. Then, BRIDESMAIDS opens this summer and does terrific business, at least in comparison to other box office releases of the time. It makes a tidy profit here and overseas, so naturally Universal wants to have another go-around with Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo, Paul Feig and Judd Apatow, right?
Well, according to Hollywood Reporter, Wiig and Mumolo aren't interested in returning to that story, at least not right now. Acoording to Wiig, "Annie and I aren't planning a sequel. We're writing something else." Apatow further added, "The key is we have to come up with an idea that is as good or better than the first one. We don't want to do it unless it can be great. I don't think anyone has had the brain space to think about it yet. Hopefully that can begin this year."
Universal doesn't completely shut off the idea of going it without Wiig, Mumolo, or Apatow, though. It's possible that a sequel would happen without them, centering on Melissa McCarthy's character. I think that would be a mistake, and a case of Universal killing the golden goose. Besides, I'd rather have those people in your corner, continuing to make funny movies with reasonable budgets and huge returns. BRIDESMAIDS didn't feel like it was a movie that had more to say after the credits rolled, anyway. Granted, I thought the same about THE HANGOVER, and while I didn't think the sequel was all that, it made a huge amount of money at the box office.
BRIDESMAIDS was a really good comedy, playing in a genre that many critics tend to write off these days, but when romantic comedies are done well, they really can rake in the money, and not make the audience feel stupid in the bargain. Universal may move ahead on BRIDESMAIDS 2 without the core group that brought the film about, and it remains to be seen whether or not that project would be successful, either monetarily or creatively.
Nordling, out.
