Girls Trip producers Will Packer and James Lopez have provided an update on the long touted sequel for the beloved 2017 smash-hit comedy.
Both insisted that they’re in no rush to make the sequel and will wait until the script, which is still in its very early stages, is just right. If it’s not, then both suggested that the film won’t happen.
“We have to figure it out,” Packer recently told me. “I am not in any rush to do it. Here’s the thing, people clambering for a sequel is great, because it means you did something right the first time.”
“But however it also means the first film was beloved. One way to make sure that you diminish the impact of the first film is to make a sequel that everyone hates. Because then people go, ‘Aw! Why did you mess it up? It was good.’”
“One way to make sure that you don’t do that is to make the original stand on its own. It’s not that I am afraid to make a sequel. I just don’t want to do it for sequel’s sake. I will only do it when it is right and it makes sense.”
When I asked for an update on the script, Packer added, “We have had general conversations about ideas, about how we would do it.”
“Nothing too specific yet. We have talked about places we would go and reasons to do it, what journey we can take these four women that people fell in love with in the first one, what kind of journey can we take them on this time around.”
During my subsequent conversation with Lopez, who was recently named the new Head Of Motion Pictures at Will Packer Productions, he echoed Packer’s comments.
“It all starts with the success of the first one. We are going to try and build upon that,” Lopez insisted.
“There are early discussions now on what the concept for another one would be. And we put the pressure on ourselves. We know we have to top it otherwise we are not gonna do it.”
“The second one, it doesn’t have to have a bigger budget. We don’t have to go to the moon. But the story has to be great to top that first one. And we are gonna try to put our best foot forward and make sure we don’t disappoint.”
“Because it is such a beloved film. We want to do right by the sequel and not just do it for monetary gain. There has to be a reason culturally and the story has to be there in order to do it well. There are a couple of ideas floating around on how we can do that. So, hopefully, who knows, a year from now we Weill be on set. You never know.”
I then asked Lopez about the chances of “Girls Trip 2” actually being shelved if they can’t get the script right, and he far from dismissed the idea.
“It’s tricky. I am confident that we can go off and make a good film the second time around. But it is all in the writing and the economics of the deal making.”
“You know, making films is very difficult. It is complicated. A lot of times you hear stories about people just walking away. It is because of the intricacies of putting a deal together to make a movie, they all have to line up.”
“Not only are you dealing with schedules, you are dealing with budget and story and all this things have to align. And if they don’t the film won’t happen. At this stage, so early on, I can’t say that it is 100% going to happen. I can’t say that right now.”
