Great comedy sequelsare few and far in between, as trying to replicate the success of an initially successful concept can prove to be challenging within the genre. It’s hard to craft a forward-thinking comedy sequel that doesn’t simply reiterate the same jokes as its predecessor, as sometimes “too much of a good thing” is possible when it comes to humor. Given the relativelyfew original comedies that have been successfully released in theaters amidst the pandemic era, the prospect of new comedy franchises emerging feels even more unrealistic. Although 2011’sHorrible Bosseshad a great concept that successfully balanced its star power with dark humor, its 2014 sequel proved to be a massive disappointment. However, the strong work done by the principal cast and crew in the subsequent decade indicates thatHorrible Bosses 3may still happen one day.
Horrible Bosses
Three friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness.
What Is ‘Horrible Bosses’ About?
Directed bySeth Gordon,Horrible Bossescenters on lifelong best friends Nick Hendricks (Jason Bateman), Kurt Buckman (Jason Sudeikis), and Dale Arbus (Charlie Day), all of whom have a miserable employment experience due to their abusive supervisors. Nick is bullied by the greedy financial manager Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey), Kurt is disturbed by the wild behavior of the eccentricchemical company owner Bobby Pellit (Colin Farrell), and Dale is harassed by the oral hygienist Dr. Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston). While the issues that the characters face are purposefully exaggerated,Horrible Bossespresents a relatable scenario that most employees could relate to. Anyone that has ever dealt with an undesirable boss could empathize with the predicament that Nick, Kurt, and Dale find themselves in.
Although it begins as a somewhat straightforward workplace comedy,Horrible Bossesinfuses dark humor in a manner that’s uncommon in most mainstream studio comedies. After consulting with the eccentric criminal Dean Jones (Jamie Foxx), the trio of friends decides to kill each other’s bosses in order to advance in the workplace. Given that none of them are professional criminals, the attempted assassinations go hilariously awry in what feels like a much darker spin onOffice Space. The clever script by screenwriterJohn Francis DaleyandJohnathan Goldsteinmanaged to add legitimate suspense to the heightened comedy thriller.
Although the first film surpassed expectations and became a commercial and financial hit,Horribles Bosses 2fell short of expectations and underperformed in comparison.Despite a duo of hilarious performances by new cast membersChristoph WaltzandChris Pinein comedic roles,Horrible Bosses 2failed to find the right blend between raunchiness and sincerity. While the first film had managed to present a fairly realistic setup that gradually got more ridiculous, the sequel took the franchise into a world of corporate espionage and kidnapping that lacked the same relatable quality. Earning both negative reviews and over $100 millionless at the global box officethan its predecessor,Horrible Bosses 2seemingly cut short the franchise before it had the chance to begin.
‘Horrible Bosses 3’ Could Still Happen
Despite the extremely negative response that the film received, theHorrible Bosses 2cast seems to regret appearing ina disappointing sequel.Inan interview withMarc Maron, Bateman admitted that the second film “was garbage as far as box office goes.” While he admitted that the film itself had its creative struggles, Bateman cited the Thanksgiving release date as the primary reason that the sequel underperformed in comparison to its predecessor financially. It didn’t seem likely that an R-Rated comedy sequel would perform well during a holiday weekend where audiences were going to see films with their families. He also admitted that while the first film had done surprisingly well, “people just weren’t interested in seeing another one” given how conclusive the first installment was.
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While the failure ofHorrible Bosses 2may have eroded any good will that the series may have earned,Day has expressed interestin returning for a third installment in the franchise. While promoting the highly underrated romantic comedyI Want You Back, Day admitted that he’d “love to do” a third film and he “would jump at the opportunity to do anything with Jennifer again.“Day stated thatit was a “blessing” to be a part of the franchise, as he has had only a few rare opportunities to appear in live action comedies due to his commitments toplaying Charlie onIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
It’s the Right Time for ‘Horrible Bosses 3'
While releasing a new sequel a decade after the previous installment hit theaters may seem like a financial risk,Horrible Bosses 3could take advantage of its casts’ success in recent years.Bateman’s star power has advanceddue to his acclaimed dramatic turn onOzarkand hit podcastSmartLess,Day has continued to play an essential role in the record-breaking success ofIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,and Sudeikis has now wrapped his Emmy winning role inTed Lasso. While each of the stars likely to have other commitments, their recent success could generate more interest in a thirdHorrible Bossesfilm than it would have had right after the second movie’s release.
It’s the perfect time for a third entry in the series, asR-Rated comedies are making a comeback at the box office.While many comedy films were released straight to streaming during the early days of the pandemic, the breakout success of raunchy comedies likeAnyone But YouandNo Hard Feelingssuggests that the genre still has significant potential to appeal to a mass market audience. The brilliant premise ofHorrible Bossescould certainly inspire a number of spinoffs with new characters. However, it would be particularly exciting to see the entire ensemble reunite for a new cinematic installment that makes up for the mistakes made byHorrible Bosses 2.
Horrible Bossesis available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.
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