The Farrelly brothers are working on a sequel to one of their most underrated comedies.
Peter Farrelly told Nerdtropolis that he and his brother Bobby are writing a sequel to 1996’s Kingpin, a sports comedy that starred Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid and Bill Murray.
Peter is currently promoting his upcoming film, I Play Rocky.
The possible sequel may also be directed by the Farrellys, who last collaborated behind the camera for 2014’s Dumb and Dumber To. No plot details or returning characters have been announced.
Directed by Peter and Bobby with the original screenplay credited to Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan, Kingpin was released July 26, 1996. It starred Harrelson as Roy Munson, an alcoholic former bowling pro mentoring an Amish bowler played by Quaid. Murray had a memorable turn as Ernie “Big Ern” McCracken, Roy’s nemesis.
Kingpin underperformed at the box office, grossing just over $25 million in the U.S. and Canada, according to Box Office Mojo. But Gene Siskel considered it one of the 10 best movies of 1996, and it’s become a cult favorite thanks to its outrageous humor and comedic take on professional bowling.
The movie was a hit on home video, which was a relief, Bobby told Fast Company in 2016.
“It started to feel like not such a disaster. And in some ways it’s almost cooler to have a movie that’s a cult hit,” he said.
Kingpin made a strong impression on an executive at Fox Studios who wanted to know what the brothers were working on next. That led to the release of 1998’s There’s Something About Mary, which made nearly $370 million worldwide and was the fourth-highest grossing movie of the year.
I Play Rocky, which follows the making of 1976’s Rocky, will be released nationwide Nov. 20.
