There's no doubt that the cast of The Hangover was everything to the first movie's success. While the script and Todd Phillip's direction were major assets, it was Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, and Bradley Cooper, as well as the supporting characters, who really made this project special. Ed Helms, who is still working to this day, was the biggest name in the main cast. And this was all due to his role as Andy on The Office. But Ed was far from a movie star. And while Bradley Cooper has done a ton of fantastic movies since, The Hangover was his first big one.
Given the massive financial success of the first Hangover movie, a sequel seemed almost inevitable. But that didn't mean that all of the cast members wanted to come back and do another one. A 2011 interview with Entertainment Weekly, before the release of The Hangover 2, shed light on the subject. Here's what the cast had to say about doing a sequel.
A Sequel Was Inevitable
Hollywood is notorious for pushing the idea of a franchise. No matter what genre a film is, if it's successful, chances are a sequel will be made. Given that The Hangover was made on a relatively modest budget of $35 million and then made $469.3 million at the box office (according to BoxOfficeMojo) it made total sense that the studio wanted to make more. This must have made director Todd Phillips thrilled and delighted as he had taken a big gamble on the movie. In fact, he even forwent his salary for points on the backend. Of course, this was something he definitely didn't have to do when making The Hangover 2.
"The idea of a sequel became real after our first test screenings [for Hangover 1]," director Todd Phillips said to Entertainment Weekly in the 2011 cover story for their magazine. "The movie played like a rock concert, and Warner Brothers said, 'You should start thinking about a sequel'."
What Did The Cast Actually Think About Doing A Sequel?
With Warner Brothers and director Todd Phillips both interested in a sequel, the next question was obvious; did the cast want to come back to the characters that launched their careers on the big screen?
"I think we were all on the same page if the script is right, of course, we'll do it, " Ed Helms recalled.
However, Zach Galifianakis, who played, perhaps, the most specific character in The Hangover was a little bit more cautious about returning to the role and doing it all over again.
"I was a little bit apprehensive. I was just of the mindset, 'Oh, let's leave well enough alone.' In the end, it seems like I was wrong," Zach explained. "But I was scared. Not because I didn't want to work with everybody. But I thought, how can you possibly do as good as that?"
Of course, there was also the worry about being pigeon-holed. While Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms had to worry about that a little less, Zach certainly did. After all, his character was so fantastic and so memorable, and Hollywood LOVES to milk a cow until it's dried out.
According to the interview by Entertainment Weekly, Ed Helms thought the idea of doing a sequel back when they were filming the first Hangover was absolutely 'preposterous'.
"It just seemed like something fun to joke about," Ed said.
"I just remember Ed talking about us going into space for the next one," Bradley Cooper laughed.
"That was my go-to joke," Ed explained.
Of course, The Hangover 2 didn't take place in space. It took place in Bangkok, Thailand. And the idea for that came pretty early on.
"Bangkok was an idea that came up very early. For me, location is a huge part of the first Hangover," Todd Phillips explained to Entertainment Weekly. "Vegas is like the fourth or fifth chapter in the movie. There are few cities where you say the name and it means something. Bangkok sounds seedy and mysterious and dangerous."
The Results Of Hangover 2
Well, Hangover 2 resulted in Hangover 3, of course. In just five days after the film was released, it made a whopping $137.4 million. While the budget more than doubled in size from the last one (upping all of the actors and director's salaries) it was no match for what it eventually made. Legendary Pictures and Warner Brothers spent $80 million on the film's budget and eventually made $586.8 million...
The Hangover Part 3, was slightly less successful but was still worth the studio's money. It was made for $103 million and made $362 million. Clearly, there was a bit of Hangover fatigue by the end of it. But based on those numbers, we doubt the actors regretted it.