“Ball is in his court”: Ben Stiller’s Right, Even Tom Cruise Can’t Save Robert Downey Jr’s $195 Million Film’s Hypothetical Remake
- 'Tropic Thunder', directed by Ben Stiller, remains a controversial comedy classic with its edgy commentary on Hollywood's vanity.
- Despite fans calling for a sequel, Stiller recognizes the challenges of balancing humor with modern sensibilities.
- Screenwriter Justin Theroux is willing to do a sequel to 'Tropic Thunder' and is working on it.
The nature of comedy is very sensitive, as it requires a lot of balance due to the changing social expectations and cultural norms. An earlier topic of laughter may lead to controversies in today’s times.
Tropic Thunder is one of the best examples of this issue. The Ben Stiller-directed comedy movie of 2008 was so much more than a simple dose of humor. It was a commentary on the vanity and methods employed within the high-profile movie business of Hollywood.
Tropic Thunder‘s Edgy Comedy Meets Modern Sensibilities
There was lots more to Tropic Thunder than just another comedy movie. It portrayed a group of prima donna actors who get into an actual dangerous environment while trying to make a Vietnam War movie. The movie starred Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, and Tom Cruise.
The filmmakers made it so edgy that it was the only thing that everybody talked about. It led to many controversies due to Robert Downey Jr.‘s method acting in blackface, repeated use of the term “r*tard,” and portraying award-chasing behavior of actors in the industry.
Disability advocates chose to protest outside the movie’s premiere, urging people not to watch the movie, and many considered Downey’s portrayal of Kirk Lazarus as racist, and even Tom Cruise faced some controversy for his character Les Grossman having a Jewish name.
Ben Stiller has not shied away from telling how hard it is to make a comedy like this in the current world. In a recent interview with Collider, he said,
I doubt it. Obviously, in this environment, edgier comedy is just harder to do. Definitely not at the scale we made it at, too, in terms of the economics of the business. I think even at the time we were fortunate to get it made, and I credit that, actually, to Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks.
He further added,
The idea of Robert playing that character who’s playing an African American character, I mean, incredibly dicey. Even at the time, of course, it was dicey too.
However, many fans are calling for its return on social media, though many also feel that nobody from the industry will be willing to take the risk today. This feeling is in a way an indication of annoyance towards what some might feel, increasing cultural restrictions on comedy.
Ben Stiller has the power to shift the whole culture by making a sequel. Ball is in his court.
— Bryce Storbakken (@BryceStorbakken) November 25, 2024
it could definitely be made today. No one has the balls to do so tho
— MovieManKev 🦃 (@MovieManKev) November 25, 2024
Edgy comedy can still be done…if you have the guts
— La Reina🇺🇸Creole🇩🇴🇯🇲🇵🇷🇹🇹🇨🇺🇭🇹🇲🇽🇨🇴 (@LaReinaCreole) November 25, 2024
It's not harder to do, they're just soft.
— Amnesiac Jack (@amnesiac_jack) November 26, 2024
Make it and those of us who enjoy it will cheer you on.
Instead they cower and point fingers when really they just need to look in the mirror. They are the problem.
“In this environment”….we can still be in the same environment. Quit being scared to put out “edgier” comedies. Audiences want that.
— LetsGoBayBay (@LetsGoBayBay) November 26, 2024
However, Tropic Thunder was proven to be a blockbuster movie. The movie collected over $195.7 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo), and Downey got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, which was quite unusual for such a comedy part.
Justin Theroux’s Perspective on Tropic Thunder 2
The original screenwriter of Tropic Thunder, Justin Theroux, opines that the time is right for a sequel to this picture. In a recent interview with Comicbook, he talked about the possibility of the sequel, saying,
I have some stuff already churning that I’d love to do, but I’ll keep it a secret. Hollywood just gets funnier as the years go on. It never ceases to amaze me how navel-gazing it can be. There’s a million things – we’ve gone through so many movements in Hollywood that I think those would all be somehow in the mix. Listen, if an idea strikes me, like it struck Tim, where it’s like, “Oh, this could be a sequel,” I’ll definitely do a sequel.
A spin-off centered on Les Grossman, played by Tom Cruise, was actually announced in 2010 but was never produced. According to Deadline, Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie were working on the idea for the spin-off as well, but there have been no details beyond that.
According to Theroux, this could be a stroke of genius, as the sequel could likely poke fun at most of today’s trends in Hollywood, particularly the production of sequels, reboots, and superhero films. The meta-commentary with the success of the original film could possibly work now as well if things are balanced properly.
Tropic Thunder is available to stream on Prime Video.
