Kristen Wiig has blunt response for ‘Bridesmaids’ sequel hopefuls
This maid of honor will not be walking down the aisle anytime soon.
Kristen Wiig says “the story has ended” for her character in the romantic comedy “Bridesmaids” — and a sequel is very unlikely.
“It’s never been a conversation,” Wiig, 50 told the Hollywood Reporter in a new cover story, published on Thursday. “That story had an end, and it’s so beloved to me for 10 million reasons, and I think it’s OK to just have it exist in the world as it is.”
Since “Bridesmaids,” there hasn’t been a large amount of female-driven comedies released.
“People get scared. What’s wrong with having a big female cast, why is that scary?” Wiig wondered.
Wiig — who co-wrote the rom-com movie with Annie Mumolo — stars as Annie, the maid of honor, trying to plan a wedding for her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), and leads the group of bridesmaids (Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper) down the path to matrimony.
McCarthy, who recently starred as Ursula in the live-action film The Little Mermaid, said she would jump at the opportunity to play her “Bridesmaids” character again.
“I would do a ‘Bridesmaids’ sequel this afternoon, right now,” McCarthy told People in April 2023. “That group of women was the most magical thing ever. Almost all of us were really good friends already. I think it was such a magical time.”
Rudolph, who worked with Wiig on “Saturday Night Live,” gave her ideas for a potential sequel, too.
“Well, I guess it wouldn’t be called ‘Bridesmaids,’ it would be called ‘Old Ladies’ or something,” Rudolph told Entertainment Tonight in April 2021. “I’ll be down.”
Though a “Bridesmaid” sequel is unlikely, director Paul Feig spilled several secrets about the movie in 2021.
The original script had a sequence involving a shirtless Matt Damon chopping up wood but never made the final cut, Feig told Business Insider.
While working on “Bridesmaids,” Wiig was also a cast member on “SNL” from 2005-2012.
“You’re in a world that won’t be replicated anywhere outside of 30 Rock. Nothing moves that fast. Nothing takes up that much time. No one has to change costumes that quickly. It does make you think: You can do a lot in four minutes,” Wiig told the Hollywood Reporter.
As pressured as the show was, when sketches were cut or didn’t work, there wasn’t time to mull over. “You always know there’s next week,” she said.
Wiig found the breakneck pace of the work “like being on the water rapids.”
“You’ll end up at the end at some point,” she added.
“SNL” creator Lorne Michaels praised Wiig’s performance while on the NBC variety show. “There’s a precision. What she does, you never see the work, or how it came to be. It’s like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers,” he told THR. “She makes it look easy.”
Her “Super Showcase Models” skit with Rudolph was one that the cast couldn’t get through without laughing during the show.
Wiig is now producing and starring in the new Apple TV+ comedy, “Palm Royale,” alongside Carol Burnett, Allison Janney, Ricky Martin and Josh Lucas.
“We all have times in our lives where we wanted to be someone else and maybe fit in with a certain group. It always is more than just wanting someone to like you. It’s always deeper, that need,” she said, while describing her show character.
Set in 1969, the show follows Maxine Simmons (Wiig) as she tries to break into the high society of Palm Beach.
“Palm Royale” will debut on Wednesday, March 20, on Apple TV+.