Rumors are abound that Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are gearing up for a Step Brothers movie sequel after posts from the Step Brothers official Facebook page have suddenly increased in frequency. Memes featuring Ferrell and Reilly as Brennan and Dale are getting lots of laughs, and fans are interacting with their favorite quotes from the 2008 film. The sudden uptick in posts has also some fans speculating that Ferrell and Reilly are leading up to a bigger announcement — Step Brothers 2 .
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Both Will Ferrell an John C. Reilly have full schedules at the moment. As previously reported by Inquisitr , Ferrell has three films set to be released just this year, including a comedy with Amy Poehler. And Reilly has multiple films either being released or in some stage of production. But whether or not the busy duo can fit a Step Brothers sequel into their already packed schedules may not be the issue.
According to Will Ferrell, the sequel everyone is hoping for may be an idea that’s long past. In a February interview with Rolling Stone , Will Ferrell and Step Brothers director Adam McKay admitted they didn’t see a sequel in the cards for the beloved comedy any time soon, if ever.
“You have to resist the temptation,” Ferrell said regarding the possibility of Step Brothers 2 . “It’s just tough because the things everyone wants you to do sequels of are special because there’s not a sequel of it. I guess we’ll see, but as of now there are no plans. We just don’t want to be doing sequels of everything.”
McKay and Ferrell had reportedly been throwing around ideas for the sequel when they were surprised to get the green light on the follow up to another Will Ferrell favorite, Anchorman . As McKay and Ferrell focused their efforts on making Anchorman 2 a success, the Step Brothers sequel got brushed aside. Now nine years later, it seems Will is the one who is more apprehensive about making the film.
Considering that Step Brothers focuses on two grown men in their 40s that can’t seem to navigate being fully functional adults, Ferrell expressed concern that going along with the same schtick might make Brennan and Dale just seem “pathetic.” McKay wasn’t so sure.
“I said ‘no’ at one point. And then I realized it was foolish of me to say that, because the older they get, the funnier the joke may get.”
While neither Will Ferrell or Adam McKay would definitively say that the sequel was never going to happen (after all, never say “never” — it took nine years for Anchorman 2 ) the two did say they are focusing on new material. Oddly enough, however, the last project to include both Will Ferrell and Adam McKay is the sequel to Daddy’s Home, which is currently filming and anticipated to be released this November.
So what could be the motivation for the Step Brothers social media accounts to be boosting their profiles if it’s not a sequel? Perhaps they’re using that platform as a means of preparing Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly fans for the release of their new film, Holmes and Watson .
Holms and Watson will mark the third film to co-star Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. Besides Step Brothers , the pair also teamed up for Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby .
According to Deadline , Reilly and Ferrell announced in August of last year that they would be reuniting to film a comedic version of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle inspired characters Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The film, which is written and directed by Tropic Thunder writer Etan Cohen, is currently in post production with an August 2018 release date.
Another possible reason for the boost in social media could be the approaching 10 year anniversary of Step Brothers . Released in 2008, the film is one of the most beloved comedies of that era and helped Will Ferrell fans get over the disappointment of Semi-Pro . There will undoubtedly be some sort of Hollywood hoopla or DVD with special footage to come out for the anniversary of Step Brothers initial release and this could all be leading up to the celebration.
Still, as Will Ferrell fans know, he likes to keep us guessing. Ever the prankster, perhaps Ferrell’s interview with Rolling Stone and flat out denial of a Step Brothers 2 on the horizon could just be another carefully plotted ploy by the funnyman to keep us on our toes.
[Featured Image by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images.]