**Wet Hot American Summer **might not be the most famous funny film ever made, and it definitely wasn’t the most successful. But, like a secret handshake among comedy connoisseurs, it’s long since become a quotable cult hit. And now co-creator Michael Showalter has confirmed that he and regular collaborator David Wain have the cast eager to work on a sequel.
Wain and Showalter first birthed the thing back in 2001, where it arrived in cinemas to crickets and little critical support. But once it hit DVD, it took off, and finally found the success it deserved.
Set in 1981 at Camp Firewood, the film takes place on the last day before the various campers are due to head back to their parents. But for the staff and teens who work at the place, there’s still plenty of unfinished business to deal with, including love both requited and unrequited, the talent show and the small matter of a chunk of Skylab falling to Earth that might just hit them…
While you might not think something that flopped in cinemas 11 years ago would be able to grab a sequel, consider that the cast included a roll-call of talent who have gone on to have big careers, including Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Amy Poehler, David Hyde Pierce and Janeane Garofalo. Showalter, talking on US network Bravo’s Watch What Happens show, now says that everyone is excited to return. We have to admit we wonder if Cooper would have the time, but since his schedule is now a little more open…
Back last June, Wain and Showalter first confirmed that they were considering the idea on Jeff Goldsmith’s excellent Q&A podcast, so it’s nice to see that this thing seems to be moving forward. There's no official studio attached yet, but we'll keep our fingers crossed.
Expect to hear more about this as Wain and Showalter hit the press tour for their upcoming comedy Wanderlust, which ambles in on March 2.