When a relatively low-key comedy pulls in $183 million at the worldwide box office, you can bet your bottom dollar that a studio will explore the possibilities of a sequel. And that’s exactly what happened to Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Released a full five years ago, the Kevin James starring vehicle became a surprise hit for Sony. Fast forward to 2014 and we have the first trailer for its sequel, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2.
With James back in the saddle (or, should we say, back on the segueway), next year’s follow-up is poised to take the action to Las Vegas, where a criminal gang led by Neal McDonaugh’s big bad begin hitting every casino on the Nevada Strip. And so, as the unlikeliest of unlikely heroes, Paul Blart takes a break from the Security Guard Expo to thwart the goons by any means necessary.
From the footage released, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 seems to promise more of the same, with James’ bumbling security guard running into nine kinds of crazy as he attempts to apprehend the criminals. And though it’s easy to turn your nose up at a sequel that appears to play things relatively safe, it’s unlikely that Mall Cop 2 will stoop to the levels of abomination of Grown Ups 2.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 will report for duty on April 17th, 2014. In the meantime, be sure to check out the trailer above and let us know what you make of Kevin James’ latest outing in the comments.
In this sequel, in which Kevin James reprises the role of Paul Blart, the security guard is headed to Las Vegas to attend a Security Guard Expo with his teenage daughter Maya (Raini Rodriguez) before she departs for college. While at the convention, he inadvertently discovers a heist – and it’s up to Blart to apprehend the criminals.