Tuesday
Nov182008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 3:46PM 'Nutty Professor 3' Announcement Heralds Coming Apocalypse
You've got to be effing kidding me: Another
Nutty Professor movie? 
The Hollywood Reporter - or THR as lazy people call it - is running up the flagpole the notion that Universal and Imagine want a third movie, and they've put an open call out to writers for fresh new ideas. The first movie in the series made $270 million worldwide back in 1996, which is a healthy number. The second one made a little more than half that much.
So why do we need a third? Well, I know why Universal thinks it needs a third: Because in the past 18 months, their only major hits have been The Bourne Ultimatum, American Gangster, Wanted, and Mamma Mia! And what do you do when you need easy money? Well, you sure don't gamble $80 - $100 million on something unproven.
But can Eddie Murphy actually navigate a hit? Sure, he can. His last moneymaker actually used the same device that a third Nutty Professor would. Remember Norbit? Big hit, that one. And with an unsteady economy, that's what the major studios will vote for every time. The movie will probably blow if it ever gets made (Murphy is said to be waiting for the script and the word on who's directing, like that interests the star of Meet Dave), but it's hard to blame the studio for wanting to line its pockets a little more.
There is the other side of this, too, that people just don't care to see a third Nutty Professor movie. But if the studio can keep its costs down, I don't know how it wouldn't make some money. There are plenty of stupid people, after all.
Reader Comments (3)
Yes! After this movie rakes in the dough they will definitely give Eddie the role of every Lilliputian in Gulliver's Travels. I can't wait. I hope Brett Ratner directs!
I like the "Nutty Professor" films, so I'm looking forward to it.
I too am looking forward to another Nutty Professor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!