'Anchorman' Sequel May Shoot Early Next Year

Much like the Arrested Development movie, the news about a possible Anchorman sequel has been completely positive or totally dismissive. Now Adam McKay tells MTV it's back in the first column, saying it's still moving ahead, although not without hurdles. "It's a tricky movie because everyone went and did really well after it, so everyone's prices went up and everyone's time got a little more valuable," McKay said. "But at the same time, graciously, [Steve Carell and Paul Rudd] and everyone agreed to cut their price to come and do [the sequel], which you don't see very often in Hollywood — and cut their price substantially." That has to mean there have been more than rudimentary discussions, because fixing a lower price for an actor isn't something that just happens. So that tells me there must be some groupthink about where the movie will go and when it might happen. "But even with that," McKay adds, "it's just a budgetary thing with Paramount in terms of how much they'll give us to make it." Based on Will Ferrell's past few years, that might not be as much money as a studio would've otherwise been willing to offer. We'll see how The Other Guys does, but it's no longer an environment where Paramount or anybody else can just deal $100 million without blinking. "Austin Powers didn't make a ton of movie in its first go-round and then it caught fire in the next one," McKay said of the financing. "We're hoping they'll look more at that sort of projection." The idea is to film beginning in February, if all the money gets sorted out in time. But what's the movie about? We know the 80s is where Ron Burgundy and the Channel 4 news team is headed, but in what capacity? McKay wouldn't comment on the story, only saying there would be "insane stuff" for the cast and crew to enjoy, because there's little hope of making a movie that's as good as the first. Great pitch, by the way. Hard to believe you can't find funding for a movie you admit won't be nearly as good.