Director Paul Feig shares an optimistic response to whether he would reunite with Melissa McCarthy and Jason Statham for a follow-up to their critically-acclaimed 2015 action comedy. Beginning his career as a stand-up comedian and minor actor in several movies and TV shows, Feig would earn wider recognition for co-creating the cult-classic comedy series Freaks and Geeks, before making his directorial debut with the 2003 drama I Am David. Feig was later enlisted to helm Bridesmaids, beginning one of his most notable creative partnerships to date with McCarthy.
Following Bridesmaids, which saw McCarthy earn widespread recognition for her portrayal of Megan Price, Feig and the actress reunited for another comedic feature with The Heat, as McCarthy portrayed maverick Boston cop Shannon Mullins as she and Sandra Bullock’s FBI agent Sarah Ashburn attempt to apprehend a mobster. The pair would also reunite to resurrect Ghostbusters in the 2016 reboot of the classic 1980s franchise, as McCarthy portrayed Abby Yates, founding member of the reimagined team. However, just one year before Ghostbusters‘ release, McCarthy and Feig released one of their strongest projects yet.
Paul Feig Is Open To A Spy Sequel
McCarthy & Statham Played CIA Rivals
Directed by Feig, Spy centers on the office-bound CIA employee Susan Cooper (McCarthy), who is forced to step up when her field agent partner is killed in the line of duty. As she seeks to resolve her partner’s last case, she encounters the skeptical field agent Rick Ford (Statham), who looks down on her as she tries to infiltrate a clandestine organization dealing in nuclear arms. A financial success, Spy pleased both audiences and critics, netting an accumulated critic rating of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes for Feig’s storytelling and McCarthy’s performance.
While speaking to HeyUGuys to discuss Another Simple Favor, the director revealed which of his other works he would consider developing a sequel for. He emphasized that out of the entirety of his filmography, Spy is the only feature he could consider worth a continuation. Check out Feig’s full response below:
If there was ever going to be another one of my movies that would have a sequel it would probably be Spy. So, you know, never say never.
Our Take On A Potential Spy Sequel
Feig Left Room For Both Susan And Ford To Grow
Despite his successes, Feig is a director who has rarely decided to create continuations for his work, with Another Simple Favor being his first sequel. For the director, he has previously stated that the charm of the original movie and meeting the characters for the first time would be hard to replicate, alongside having the pressures of having to live up to audience expectations. However, Feig’s latest feature shows that if the right idea for a character arises, he would be willing to develop a continuation.
Alongside it being a critical and financial hit, Spy does offer a glimmer of a potential arc for a sequel. After proving herself and completing the mission, Susan is a fully-fledged field agent, but also finds herself waking up besides Ford following a night out. As such, alongside throwing Susan into new missions that test her mettle, a Spy sequel could easily explore whether she and Ford have the potential to form a relationship amid their rivalry.
Source: HeyUGuys