Upcoming Comedy Sequels You Didn't Know Were In The Works

When a movie does well at the box office or on streaming, there's a good chance a sequel will eventually follow. This is a near certainty with horror movies due to their low production cost. The same could be said of comedies in terms of budget, but, for one reason or another, comedy sequels don't tend to come around quite as often. However, that's not to say they never happen — in fact, there are a number of upcoming comedy sequels in the pipeline.

While you may already be aware of some of the bigger upcoming comedy sequels currently in development, there's a lot that you probably didn't know were happening. After all, not everyone can keep track of every project that's in development, and when it's a sequel to a film that came out many years ago, there's a chance that you simply forgot the original even existed. The following comedy sequels are in various stages of development in Hollywood.

Director Rob Reiner made some fantastic films in the 1980s, including 1984's "This Is Spinal Tap." The mockumentary comedy features Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Christopher Guest as members of the fictional band Spinal Tap. They're followed by a documentary crew while they embark on an American tour. Everything about the movie is satire, and it's hilarious. However, despite being a cult classic, few imagined it would ever get a follow-up.

In 2022, news of a sequel broke. The stars are all back, as is Reiner as director. Not only will the entire band return for the new film a whopping 40 years after the original's release, but it will feature a plethora of musicians making cameos. These include Elton John, Garth Brooks, Paul McCartney, Chad Smith, Lars Ulrich, Trisha Yearwood, Questlove, and others.

"Spinal Tap II" began filming in early 2024. It was originally set to hit theaters in March 2024, though delays related to the Hollywood strikes made that impossible. The studio has yet to confirm a new release date. Not much is known about the film's plot, which may follow the band on a reunion tour or something else entirely. "Spinal Tap II" has a production budget of $22.6 million, which is ten times what Reiner spent making "This Is Spinal Tap."

The original "Freaky Friday" came out in 1976, and there have been several remakes over the years. The most popular one came out in 2003, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan as a mother and daughter who switch bodies via a magical fortune cookie. The film updated the theme for the period and was successful as a result. A sequel was always possible, but the likelihood of that happening eroded as Lohan's legal troubles and work problems worsened.

Fortunately, Lohan overcame her problematic period and returned to acting as an adult. Even then, a sequel to "Freaky Friday" seemed unlikely, but fans of the original got some welcome news in May 2023 when Disney confirmed that a sequel was in the works. Lohan and Curtis are both set to reprise their roles, with Nisha Ganatra (known for her work on shows like "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," "And Just Like That," and "Dollface") tapped to direct.

Some possible plot points for "Freaky Friday" 2 have surfaced via Entertainment Weekly's. The report states that Anna (Lohan) has a 14-year-old daughter, as does her fiancé, and the kids aren't happy about the families coming together. Anna and Tess (Curtis) swap bodies with the teenage girls, with hijinks undoubtedly ensuing. The as-yet-untitled sequel has no set release date at the time of this writing.

Watching 1993's "Hocus Pocus" has become a Halloween tradition for many. Disney capitalized on the film's cult status by releasing "Hocus Pocus 2" in 2022, which broke debut weekend streaming records with 2.7 billion minutes of views. The Sanderson Sisters (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) came back, and all three stars are expected to reprise their roles in a third outing. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, screenwriter Jen D'Angelo said that while everyone was charmed by the younger versions of the witch sisters in the second film, "we for sure want to see them again as adults" in the third one.

D'Angelo said that the project was "still in the story phase," though it seems like one of the characters introduced in the second film will feature more prominently in the upcoming sequel. D'Angelo said: "We've only scratched the surface of Hannah Waddingham's mother witch." The screenwriter has also confirmed that she wants to bring back Omri Katz and Vinessa Shaw as Max and Allison from the first film. "I'm hoping in 'Hocus Pocus 3,' we'll see Max and Alison living in California," she told Variety. "Hocus Pocus 3" is in full development at Disney with an estimated $100 million budget, so the studio is committed. Unfortunately, a release date isn't available right now, but the odds are it will come out in October 2025 to coincide with Halloween.

1996's "Happy Gilmore" was an early success for Adam Sandler, helping him cement his place as a Hollywood star after breaking through on "Saturday Night Live." The titular character is a failed ice hockey player who decides to take up tournament golf in an effort to make some money so he can save his grandmother's house. He managed to do just that, so there's really no reason for a sequel. However, Adam Sandler movies continue to dominate Netflix, so it's not really surprising that the streamer has decided to capitalize on one of his most famous characters.

Sandler is expected to both star in and write "Happy Gilmore 2," though no plot details have surfaced since the film's announcement. While Carl Weathers (who played Happy's mentor Derick "Chubbs" Peterson in the original) has sadly passed away since the first film's release, much of the original cast is still around and could potentially return for the sequel. This means potential appearances from Happy's uptight rival Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) and his love interest Virginia Venit (Julie Bowen). Netflix announced the movie in May 2024 but gave no indication of its release date.

There have been two films in the "Sister Act" franchise to date, with the original coming out in 1992 and a follow-up hitting theaters the following year. It's been a while since Whoopi Goldberg put on the habit, but a third film is definitely on the way. In fact, it's been in the pipeline for quite some time now: Disney began development of "Sister Act 3" back in 2018. Little information has trickled out since then, with nothing concrete on the plot or the release date yet.

Here's what we do know about "Sister Act 3" at the time of this writing: Tim Federle (the creator of "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series") will helm the film, and Madhuri Shekar (who adapted "3 Body Problem" for the screen) is penning the script. The House of Mouse has also confirmed that the third "Sister Act" film will debut on Disney+ as opposed to in theaters.

Cast wise, nothing is confirmed as of yet, though Goldberg has been open about wanting her former co-stars to return, including Maggie Smith. During a 2023 appearance on the British talk show "Loose Women," Goldberg sent a public plea to the celebrated English actor. "I want to let Maggie Smith know that I'm holding the part of Mother Superior for you," she said (via the Independent). "Because I just can't do it with anybody but you."

"Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" was a huge success in 2004, making $168M at the global box office from a $20M budget. News of a sequel to "Dodgeball" broke in early 2023, with Vince Vaughn returning to play gym owner Peter LaFleur. Jordan VanDina (best known for the Hulu original comedy film "The Binge") is writing the script based on a premise proposed by Vaughn, though it's unclear if the original film's writer and director, Rawson Marshall Thurber, will be involved.

The rest of the cast of "Dodgeball" may well return, but nothing has been confirmed. Fans would no doubt love to see the major players — Christine Taylor, Ben Stiller, Justin Long, Stephen Root, and Alan Tudyk — reprise their roles. As of this writing, there's little concrete information in terms of plot and release date, though the film isn't expected to come out anytime soon. Because it's in development at 20th Century Fox, "Dodgeball 2" will likely stream on Hulu or Disney+ when it's made available online.

The "Shrek" franchise exploded after the release of the first film in 2001, with numerous sequels, video games, comics, and more. While viewers got the chance to return to the world inhabited by the not-so-jolly green ogre with the 2022 spin-off "Puss In Boots: The Last Wish," the last actual "Shrek" movie was back in 2010. That's despite a fifth entry being announced way back in 2016. A lot has happened in Hollywood since then, but "Shrek 5" is apparently still in the works.

Speaking to Variety in 2023, Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri revealed that getting the original cast back together was key. "You look at what the core elements are that audiences have loved, and you do your very best to honor those core elements," Meledandri said. "And then you're hard at work to build story elements and new characters that take you to brand new places. The original cast is a huge part of that." Not much is known about the sequel's plot and there's no official release date yet, despite rumors circulating that it could arrive as early as 2025.

"Kingpin" was a box office bomb that quickly became a cult classic. It's a beloved movie these days, so it's no wonder a sequel has been greenlit. News of a second "Kingpin" film broke in 2021 with director duo Peter and Bobby Farrelly set to return to the world of bowling. Peter Farrelly told /Film in 2024 that they were still working on the script, so it remains in active development. "It's a work in progress. We're not quite there yet," he said. "Writing is hard. I want to get it right, so we're still bouncing around ideas. We're not sure, but we are developing it, yes."

Like most movies in the early stages of development, there's not much that is known regarding its potential release date, plot, or stars. "Kingpin" featured a large cast of talented actors, including Woody Harrelson, Bill Murray, Randy Quaid, Vanessa Angel, and many others. Hopefully, Harrelson and Murray will return as Roy Munson (a former State Amateur Bowling Champion who became a coach after losing his right hand) and Ernie "Big Ern" McCracken (Munson's sneaky rival), respectively. It's anyone's guess when "Kingpin 2" will arrive, but odds are it won't be until 2026 at the earliest.

Many people have been asking if there will be a sequel to 2021's "Free Guy," and the answer is: Yes. Ryan Reynolds brought an NPC to life in the first film, and, seeing as the ending left things pretty open in terms of world building, a sequel isn't surprising. The film did well upon release despite the problems posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and news of a sequel came from director Shawn Levy in a December 2022 Collider interview. "It's still in development," he said. "It's something that Disney and Fox want badly."

One thing Levy was keen to stress in the aforementioned interview is that he wants to take it slow with the sequel and make sure they make a great movie. That's good news for the fans, but also a hard pill to swallow, since "Free Guy 2" will probably take a couple of years to find its way to movie theaters or streaming platforms. At this point it's not even clear whether or not Reynolds will return to reprise his role as Guy, though it seems highly likely: He and Levy work together often, and he's the main pull here, so it would be a big risk doing a follow-up without him.

2020 saw the release of a surprisingly clever sequel in "Bill & Ted Face the Music," which reunited Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves as Bill S. Preston Esq. and Ted "Theodore" Logan 29 years after the last film in the franchise. It appears that the journey of the Wyld Stallyns may not be finished: During an appearance on "The Sarah O'Connell Show," Winter revealed that a fourth film was in the early stages of development.

"We're tinkering with a fourth movie idea that all of us like, and the guys [Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon] are going to write, so we'll see," Winter said. "It takes us time to get these things going, and we never want to do them unless they're great."

Winter made it clear that things are very much up in the air right now, but the fact that a script is being worked on will be music to the ears of "Bill & Ted" fans. One thing's for sure: You can't have a movie about Bill and Ted without Winter and Keanu Reeves, so expect them to return. Winters revealed that the concept for the fourth film was "obvious," but it's anyone's guess where the franchise will take their story.

The "Jumanji" franchise was given a shot of adrenaline with the release of 2017's "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle." That film spawned a sequel, 2019's "Jumanji: The Next Level," which hinted at another movie with a mid-credits scene. Soon  afterward, Dwayne Johnson revealed that another sequel was indeed in the works. Johnson has even spilled some potential plot details, revealing that the villain from "The Next Level" (Rory McCann's Jurgen the Brutal) was actually an avatar and that the upcoming sequel will explore who was "playing" him.

COVID-19 mucked up development plans for the next "Jumanji" film, but director Jake Kasdan is still moving forward with the film. Kasdan indicated he'd bring the entire cast back, so expect to see Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan reprising their roles. "The whole thing, to me, is built on the foundation of those people," he told NME. "The game cast are these brilliant movie stars, these iconic people." There's no news on when we can expect to see the next entry in the franchise. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Gillan said: "I haven't heard anything about it other than the fact that we will be doing it at some point. So we're all so enthusiastic about it. We all love working on those films, and it's just a matter of when."

The Kevin Smith cult hit "Mallrats" has a sequel on the way. Smith dropped the bomb that he was creating a follow-up (which will be titled "Twilight of the Mallrats") in 2020. The first film starred Jason Lee, Jeremy London, Shannen Doherty, Claire Forlani, Joey Lauren Adams, Ethan Suplee, and Ben Affleck. While it's far from Smith's most acclaimed film (that would be 1994's "Clerks") it has a loyal fan base and news of a sequel has people excited.

Smith isn't the kind of director who reveals too many details about a film he's working on, so not much is known about the plot or a potential release date. Smith attempted to create a "Mallrats" TV series about Brodie (Lee) and his daughter at one stage (he told Digital Spy that it was going to be "like a very long John Hughes movie"), so there's a good chance he'll dig up that concept and dust it off for "Twilight of the Mallrats."

"Wedding Crashers" is one of those ridiculous comedies that almost everyone loved, and it made a ton of cash. Put these two facts together and a sequel makes sense. Unfortunately, a planned follow-up got dragged into development hell and is still there at the time of this writing.

News of a potential sequel first arose in 2014 from "Wedding Crashers" director David Dobkin. He outlined the plot, which would see Daniel Craig introduced as the king of all wedding crashers. That project never came to light, but two years later, Isla Fisher said during an appearance on "Today" that Vince Vaughn indicated a sequel was in development. Van Robichaux, Rob McKittrick, and Evan Susser had reportedly been hired to write the script.

Due to scheduling issues, plans to make the sequel were put on hold in 2021. The project wasn't scrapped entirely, however, so there's still a chance "Wedding Crashers 2" will see the light of day once everyone is available.

1987's "Spaceballs" follows four heroes fighting the good fight against the eponymous villains in a spoof of the Star Wars trilogy and several other movies, including "Alien," "2001: A Space Odyssey," and "Planet of the Apes." One of the movie's greatest jokes was the meta-commentary about merchandising, and in one scene, Yogurt (writer-director Mel Brooks) teases "Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money." It's a throwaway joke that didn't mean much, as there wasn't much of a chance the film would see a sequel. Still, fans called for "The Search for More Money" for decades, and in 2024, news dropped that they were finally getting their wish.

While it probably won't use the title teased in the first film, a sequel is coming from Brooks and co-writer Josh Gad, who will also star. Sadly, several notable "Spaceballs" actors have died since the first film's release, and it's unknown how the sequel will handle the passing of John Candy (Barf) and Joan Rivers (Dot Matrix), among others. Whatever Brooks and Gad come up with, fans of the original will no doubt flock to see it. The sequel is being made by Amazon, who declined to comment on plot details or a potential release date when approached by Variety.