Only a handful of comedies truly manage to penetrate the pop culture zeitgeist and become true classics. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story is such a movie, as it remains a fan favorite nearly two decades after its theatrical release. Amid the sea of people who adore the sports flick is at least one very famous face – Helen Mirren. That’s right the dame herself is a superfan of the 2004 movie, which is officially set to get a sequel. On that note, Mirren has some strong thoughts about the notion of a follow-up.
Should we really be surprised that someone who’s been a part of such incredible movies has great taste in cinema? Probably not, but it was still delightful nonetheless to hear the Oscar winner shout out the Vince Vaughn-led movie during an interview with The Los Angeles Times. The star proudly declared that it’s one of her favorite movies while chatting with the news outlet. When it comes to the upcoming sequel, she shared a very direct thought regarding how it might compare to its predecessor:
I love Dodgeball. I can’t stop watching it. If it’s on, I have to watch it to the end. Because it’s almost my favorite movie. … Apparently, they’re doing Dodgeball 2. It cannot be as good as Dodgeball 1, ever.
Needless to say, she definitely has a soft spot for this movie, and I don’t blame her. Her assertion about the sequel also isn’t unreasonable. There’s actually even a firm chance some fans feel the same way Helen Mirren does. The production has an incredibly high bar to hit, considering the standard set by the original. In short, the cast and crew are really going to need to bring their A-game – in more ways than one – for this particular cinematic endeavor.
Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, Dodgeball tells the story of a ragtag team that faces the possible closure of their beloved gym. In order to save the location, they enter a dodgeball tournament in Las Vegas that offers a $50,000 prize. Starring alongside lead actor Vince Vaughn are Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Justin Long, Alan Tudyk, Stephen Root and Rip Torn. The movie became a box office hit, earning over $160 million worldwide against its $20 million budget, and it also earned mostly positive reviews.
Turns Out Vince Vaughn And Co. Learned To Duck, Dive, Dip, And Dodge The Hard Way Filming Dodgeball
The road to a follow-up has been incredibly bumpy, to say the least. Writer Clay Tarver was tapped to pen the sequel in 2013 but, by 2018, Rawson Marshall Thurber’s assertion that he’d said everything he wanted in the first movie gave the impression that fans should stop waiting for Dodgeball 2. However, this past spring, it was reported that the movie was in development, with Vince Vaughn returning to star and produce. Jordan VanDina is also attached as screenwriter. Plot details have not been revealed, and there’s been no word regarding whether Thurber (who’s since directed Skyscraper and Red Notice) will return.
Whenever the production sees the light of day, it’s probably safe to assume that Helen Mirren will check it out at some point. Though it sounds like the producers are really going to have to go above and beyond to craft a movie that surpasses her love for the first one. Hopefully, the follow-up lives up to the hype and garners a positive response from Dame Mirren.
You can stream Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story using a Hulu subscription and, if you’re looking to check out more recent comedies in theaters, read over the schedule of 2023 new movie releases.