10 Things I Hate About You director Gil Junger discusses plans for a new trilogy with a follow-up in development. The 1999 teen comedy starred Julia Stiles as high-achieving teen Kat Stratford and the late Heath Ledger as the edgy new student Patrick, who was hired to win her over. Based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, the movie is considered a cornerstone in the romantic comedy genre.
While speaking with People, the director behind the cult classic shared that he’s working on a follow-up film тιтled 10 Things I Hate About Dating alongside Andrew Lazar, who produced the 1999 movie. While the project is not officially greenlit yet, Junger revealed that he’s co-writing the script with Naya Elle James, which will serve as the first of a new trilogy, completed by two more films тιтled 10 Things I Hate About Marriage and 10 Things I Hate About Kids. Read his comments below:
10 Things I Hate About Dating is definitively in the works as a feature film. We’re developing it right now. [We have] some pretty good ideas.
What This Means For 10 Things I Hate About Dating
Original Cast Members May Affect The Story
With 10 Things I Hate About Dating being a follow-up and largely aiming at audiences in their thirties, Junger doesn’t rule out bringing back the original cast members. In the same interview, the director admitted that he would love to work with the talented Julia Stiles again, and even though the script is still in the early stages, he would love to “have some cameos or even real parts” for those who were in the original film.
Similar to the 1999 teen rom-com classic, 10 Things I Hate About Dating is inspired by Molière’s 1666 play, The Misanthrope, which follows a man who openly despises hypocrisies among his peers. According to Junger, the new feature film will likely feature a nod to Ledger, who died in 2008 at the age of 28. In fact, before Ledger’s death, Junger had been working with him on a follow-up movie тιтled 10 Things I Hate About Me.
Our Take On 10 Things I Hate About Dating
It Sounds A Lot Better Than The Scrapped Follow-Up
It sounds like a follow-up movie to the 10 Things I Hate About You with a male lead has been on Junger’s mind for a long time, but it hasn’t been able to come to fruition. Following the 1999 movie, Junger made another attempt at a follow-up, a dark sequel тιтled 10 Things About Life, starring Evan Rachel Wood, Thomas McDonell, and Billy Campbell, and telling a tale about two people falling in love after attempting suicide. However, the movie was canceled.
While it may have taken decades for Junger to make another 10 Things I Hate movie, the director’s optimistic update is certainly a good sign. The fact that he went back to the idea more than 25 years after the first movie’s release speaks of his dedication to serializing 10 Things I Hate. Hopefully, there will soon be more good news to hear regarding 10 Things I Hate About Dating.
Source: People
