Ryan Gosling reveals why ‘The Nice Guys’ didn’t receive a sequel
Those who enjoyed the 2016 comedy The Nice Guys shouldn’t be getting their hopes up for a sequel, suggests one of the movie’s leading stars, Ryan Gosling.
While the film ended up grossing a strong total, generating $62.8 million from a $50 million budget, it was eclipsed by several other movies upon its release, particularly on opening weekend, such as The Angry Birds Movie.
In a new interview with ComicBook.com, Gosling discussed the unlikeliness of a sequel happening anytime soon. He said: “So much of a sequel, I think, is decided by the opening weekend of a movie, and we opened up against Angry Birds.”
The actor added, “So Angry Birds just, just destroyed us. Angry Birds got a sequel.” Meanwhile, The Nice Guys also had Captain America: Civil War to compete with. These big-budget franchise movies evidently had more of a pull than The Nice Guys, leaving the comedy to gross just $11.3million during its opening weekend.
The Nice Guys follows Gosling and Russell Crowe as they investigate the disappearance of a young woman played by Margaret Qualley. The comedy is set in late 1970s Los Angeles, with Matt Bomer, Kim Basinger and Angourie Rice also starring.
While the film ended up earning more in the end, it seems as though studios aren’t rushing to make a sequel when they could instead invest in something more successful. The Angry Birds Movie received a follow-up three years later, which still grossed significantly more than The Nice Guys, with box office earnings of $152.8 million.
Luckily for Black, his following movie, The Predator, grossed a sizeable $160.5 million, trumping The Angry Birds Movie 2. He is reportedly holding out hope for a Nice Guys sequel, too, but also believes that this is unlikely.
Gosling has had a busy schedule ever since starring in The Nice Guys, appearing in La La Land, Blade Runner 2049, The Gray Man, and most recognisably, Barbie. He earned a ‘Best Supporting Actor’ nomination at the Academy Awards for his portrayal of Ken in Greta Gerwig’s film about the iconic Mattel dolls.
His next role will be in The Fall Guy opposite Emily Blunt, directed by David Leitch.
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