Justin Long is ready to duck, dip, dive, and dodge when it comes to convincing Ben Stiller to star in a “Dodgeball” sequel.
The “Barbarian” actor confirmed that former co-star Vince Vaughn is spearheading an idea for a follow-up film featuring the rivalry between Average Joe’s Gym and Globo Gym. However, after the flop of “Zoolander 2,” Stiller is hesitant to revisit the beloved 2004 sports comedy.
“Of course I would love to do it and I hope that it ends up happening, but I think Ben [Stiller] is a little…what he told me on that podcast was that he’s a little trepidatious about doing a sequel to something so beloved, something that people enjoy so much that,” Long told ComicBook.com. “It’s very risky, you don’t wanna shit on the original, you want something just as good. So I think he’s a little wary of that, of trying to recreate something that was very specific to that time, but I hope he comes around on it.”
Long continued, “Vince is a very convincing person, so I’m just hoping Vince can convince him with his idea. It’s a funny idea, I don’t wanna say what it is. I know Ben loves ‘Dodgeball’ and loves that character. I remember how much fun he had playing it. He was always laughing.”
Long noted that a 2017 cast reunion for charity also kicked off a spark in Stiller.
“When we got together years later to do a little mini reunion for this charity and Ben put on the mustache again, I remember him talking about how how happy it made him playing White Goodman again and how much fun that character was,” Long concluded. “I do know that Vince has a great idea for it and it’s just a matter of getting Ben on board.”
A potential sequel to “Dodgeball” was in the works back in 2013, with “Silicon Valley” scribe Clay Tarver brought on to write the script. Original writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber also discussed a potential series spin-off.
Stiller previously told Esquire that “Zoolander 2” in part led him to pursue directing dramas like “Escape from Dannemora” and “Severance.”
“I might have gotten distracted by other bright shiny objects, but instead it opened a path where I could just do what I’d honestly wanted to do for years and years, which was: just direct something!” Stiller said. “To say, I’m just going to work on this project that I want to work on, because it takes a little time to get these things going, and if you don’t stick with it you don’t get there.”
The “Barbarian” actor confirmed that former co-star Vince Vaughn is spearheading an idea for a follow-up film featuring the rivalry between Average Joe’s Gym and Globo Gym. However, after the flop of “Zoolander 2,” Stiller is hesitant to revisit the beloved 2004 sports comedy.
“Of course I would love to do it and I hope that it ends up happening, but I think Ben [Stiller] is a little…what he told me on that podcast was that he’s a little trepidatious about doing a sequel to something so beloved, something that people enjoy so much that,” Long told ComicBook.com. “It’s very risky, you don’t wanna shit on the original, you want something just as good. So I think he’s a little wary of that, of trying to recreate something that was very specific to that time, but I hope he comes around on it.”
Long continued, “Vince is a very convincing person, so I’m just hoping Vince can convince him with his idea. It’s a funny idea, I don’t wanna say what it is. I know Ben loves ‘Dodgeball’ and loves that character. I remember how much fun he had playing it. He was always laughing.”
Long noted that a 2017 cast reunion for charity also kicked off a spark in Stiller.
“When we got together years later to do a little mini reunion for this charity and Ben put on the mustache again, I remember him talking about how how happy it made him playing White Goodman again and how much fun that character was,” Long concluded. “I do know that Vince has a great idea for it and it’s just a matter of getting Ben on board.”
A potential sequel to “Dodgeball” was in the works back in 2013, with “Silicon Valley” scribe Clay Tarver brought on to write the script. Original writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber also discussed a potential series spin-off.
Stiller previously told Esquire that “Zoolander 2” in part led him to pursue directing dramas like “Escape from Dannemora” and “Severance.”
“I might have gotten distracted by other bright shiny objects, but instead it opened a path where I could just do what I’d honestly wanted to do for years and years, which was: just direct something!” Stiller said. “To say, I’m just going to work on this project that I want to work on, because it takes a little time to get these things going, and if you don’t stick with it you don’t get there.”