The Un-Cynical Sequel: The Coming of Super Troopers 2
If you watch televised sports, you’ve likely noticed a recurring prank: some cheeky pro athlete will go viral by repeatedly slipping the word “meow” into his post-game interview. It’s a nod to Super Troopers — the film dudes everywhere haven’t been able to stop quoting for the past 14 years. It’s become such a bro-cult classic that the $2 million needed to make Super Troopers 2 was recently crowd-funded in just a day. The pressure’s on meow.
“We’re aware of the high expectations,” says Jay Chandrasekhar, who directed and starred in the first flick alongside his Broken Lizard comedy troupe. “There have been many times where I’ve watched sequels and thought, ‘Why the fuck did they do this?’ They try to make them glitzier and the characters dye their hair blonde. This will not be that. The magic of the first one is still there. Otherwise, why would we risk it?”
“The magic of the first one is still there. Otherwise, why would we risk it?”
Fox Searchlight, evidently, asked the same question. That they decided to pass actually bodes well for the sequel. If money is the driving force behind most sequels (and it is), then a sequel like this might just be great. They’re inspired by passion more than the bottom line. Besides, it’s not like the first one was immediately a smashing success, either.
It’s Broken Lizard’s relative anonymity — the sense that they’re just a bunch of buds hanging out and cracking each other up — that’s been the secret to Super Troopers’ appeal. It’s also been key to the success of their Indiegogo campaign, which includes incentives like battling the cast at a real life Beerfest, or getting them to be groomsmen (or bridesmaids) at your wedding. They’re backslapping, regular guys looking for more good times.
“We’ve always followed the same principle: make each other laugh,” says Chandrasekhar. “We’re not changing the formula this time by trying to make the audience laugh.”
Read the rest of Sharp’s Guide to Sequels.
