2004’s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is a comedy classic that has a chance to go down as the best film of Will Ferrell’s impressive career. The 2013 sequel was long-awaited and while it didn’t live up to the hype, longtime fans are still hoping for a third installment that seems more unlikely as time goes on.
Thankfully, Anchorman fans have an alternative to check out that could be the closest they ever get to the elusive Anchorman 3. This A24 movie isn’t exactly like Anchorman, but it shares Paul Rudd as a member of its cast and has a bit more in common with the iconic Ferrell film than you might realize at first glance.
Friendship Is Like If A24 Made Anchorman
However, while the premise of Anchorman and Friendship are very different, fans of the former will notice some similar traits. For starters, Paul Rudd stars as a mustachioed weatherman. That’s basically Brian Fantana’s looks with Brick Tamland’s job.
Both films also feature a group of toxic friends, though Friendship plays up the more serious aspects of this and how it impacts the people involved. There are also bits of surreal comedy, which Anchorman is known for, and even impromptu singing, though it’s much more awkward in Friendship.
Don’t go into Friendship expecting the same kind of comedy that we all loved in Anchorman, as the tones are quite different, but it’s almost like A24’s take on something similar. It’s not a feel good, fun time comedy but an uncomfortable one, especially as it gets closer to the Friendship ending.
Friendship Is Probably The Closest We’ll Get To Anchorman 3
Image via A24
Although Anchorman wasn’t a mᴀssive box office hit, it gained more and more fans in the years following its release. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues wasn’t nearly as good but it did gross nearly $200 million, so a third installment isn’t out of the question, especially given the loyal fanbase.
There hasn’t been much information about an Anchorman 3. Director Adam McKay stated that, while the movies are fun to make, they’re done. He also said that they’d be more inclined to do a third if Anchorman 2 caught on like the original did, but it’s over 10 years later and the film hasn’t left much of an impact.
That means there’s a good chance that Friendship is kind of the best that Anchorman fans will have in terms of a potential sequel of sorts.
