Talladega Nights nearly got a sequel, and it would’ve taken Ricky Bobby overseas.
In a new interview with Business Insider, Talladega Nights director Adam McKay revealed that the racing comedy nearly got a sequel. The film would’ve taken Ricky Bobby to Europe after joining an F1 team, where he would’ve been tested as a driver, but also politically.
“We did have an idea for Talladega Nights 2,” said McKay. “It was that Ricky Bobby was going to hook up with an F1 team, and he was going to race in Denmark or the Netherlands and feel like he’s in a communist country because they have nationalized healthcare. So, along with struggling with how fast those F1 cars go, he would have clashed with far-left-leaning Europe compared to America.”
McKay went on to note that the only reason the film never went forward is that the team behind the film was exhausted from the first film. They knew that the racing sequences had to be thrilling, and ultimately realized it was much easier to go shoot Step Brothers – a small-scale comedy about two guys goofing off inside a house.
With the increased popularity of F1, especially after Brad Pitt’s racing film last year, one might think this idea is worth revisiting. However, it probably won’t happen. Not only has 20 years passed since the original film, but McKay and actor Will Ferrell had a big creative breakup some years ago. Gary Sanchez Productions, which McKay and Ferrell founded in 2006, was dissolved in 2019 after the pair decided to part ways.
“It’s a shame because we had a great creative partnership,” said McKay. “I think both of us underestimated the complications that go with not just having a company, but a very successful company.”
“We had it for a long time and did a lot of cool projects. And Ferrell said it publicly, he was never someone who wanted to produce, so he was always half in and half out, but then he would love it and be proud of the company, but by the end, he wanted to move on. It had become too much extra work; it was never his passion. I was really the one who wanted to produce, but a movie star’s life is very different than a writer-director’s life. So we split up.”
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby will briefly return to theaters starting on June 28.
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
