The Hangover Part III seems inevitable in the wake of the massive box office haul for The Hangover Part II, a script is rumored to have already been commissioned from Part II writer Craig Mazin. Fans waiting for the next Wolfpack adventure in Amsterdam or some other exotic location had better reign in their excitement. Yes, Warner Bros. will demand and cajole but star Zach Galifianakis‘s history demonstrates that he may not be so willing to reprise his most famous role.
The notoriously shy, off-camera, comedian has long fought stardom in favor of cutting his own creative path. In 2002 when Zach Galifianakis was shockingly hired to host his own late night chat show on VH1 he famously quarrelled with executives over the show’s format and his unwillingness to conduct typical talk show banter with celebrity guests. Late World with Zach lasted nine weeks on VH1 before being cancelled due to low ratings.
In the final days of Late World, Galifianakis revealed portions of the quirkier show he had in mind when he signed on, including fewer celebrity interviews and a good deal more mocking of his corporate bosses. On the show’s final night Galifianakis donned a t-shirt bearing the slogan “I have a talk show on a network that thinks Creed is cool,” overtly mocking execs who asked him not to poke fun at so-called ‘core artists. In an interview shortly after the show wrapped Galifianakis told the New York Observer that Hollywood was “…such a f****** idiot machine.”
In October of 2010, just as production was commencing on The Hangover Part II, Zach Galifianakis professed frustration with the film in an appearance on the Comedy Death Ray podcast hosted by his pal and fellow comic Scott Aukerman. The frustration was written off by many as Galifiankis attacking the casting of Mel Gibson for a cameo but another quote revealed once again the comic’s frustration with Hollywood. The actor was quoted as saying, “Just show up and vomit your lines.”
In that same Comedy Death Ray interview, Zach Galifianakis claimed to have turned down projects in the past based on ‘moral grounds.’ What he meant by the phrase ‘moral grounds’ and what projects Galifianakis turned down are unknown. But with no contract in place with Galifianakis for The Hangover Part III, how much money will it cost Warner Bros. to overcome those potential ‘moral’ objections?
The pricetag for Galifianakis as well as his co-stars Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms raises another potential obstacle forThe Hangover Part III. Deadline reported in October of 2010 that Warner Brothers nearly scrapped The Hangover Part II over budget concerns related to raises for the cast and director Todd Phillips. With none of the principle stars under contract for a third film and the success of The Hangover Part II, the demands will likely be astronomical or even cost prohibitive.
And then there is Zach Galifianakis. The always unpredictable comic has often talked about not wanting to be a star and in an interview with Charlie Rose, he joked about how The Hangover ‘ruined his life.’ Getting Zach Galifianakis to sign on for The Hangover Part III may be an even bigger obstacle than figuring out where to send the Wolfpack on their third outing.