School is back in session for Jack Black and Richard Linklatter, who will respectively star in and direct School Of Rock 2: America Rocks. Mike White, who wrote the original 2003 hit comedy, will be back to script the sequel which Variety reports will see Black’s substitute teacher/wannabe rock star “leading a group of summer school students on a cross-country field trip that delves into the history of rock ‘n’ roll and explores the roots of blues, rap, country and other genres.”
Sounds interesting, until one parses the second part of that sentance. Are we to infer that the supporting cast of students that surrounded Black in the first won’t be back? How will audiences respond to that? I conducted a quick survey of moviegoers – OK, I asked my 11-year old stepdaughter – if they (she) would be interested in a sequel without the kids and the answer was a resounding “no.”
With the proliferation of Disney Channel movies featuring kids rockin’ out like the High School Musical franchise, the juggernaut that is Hannah Montanna or the recent Camp Rock, plus Rainn Wilson’s The Rocker coming out in theaters later this month, are we getting oversaturated?
Will this mini-genre that was spawned by the first School Of Rock be totally burned out by the time the second film hits screens?