There Will Be No ANCHORMAN 3

Today’s release of Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues: Super-Sized R-Rated Version will be the last time, outside of revival screenings, you’ll get to see Ron Burgundy and the Action 4 News Team on the big screen. Anchorman and Anchorman 2 director Adam McKay is stating in no unequivocal terms that there will not be a third installment of the comedy franchise.

McKay broke the news speaking to Empire –

It’s done. I think that’s it. It was great to do it and it was so fun to work with those guys again, but I think that’s it for Ron Burgundy.

That is a hard line to take given that Anchorman 2 outgrossed the original film at the box office, with this week’s stunt re-release and April’s home video release sure to add significantly to that amount. This is definitely the kind of money that spawns additional sequels.

But I can see McKay’s point. Sometimes, despite their initial success, comic characters can quickly overstay their welcome, becoming the equivalent of that person who made a good joke earl on at a party, only to repeat the joke ad nasuem for the rest of the evening. In other words, the Austin Powers franchise.

However, I can see the practical considerations in McKay’s pronouncement as well. Coordinating the schedules of the franchise’s stars – Will Farrell, Paul Rudd and Steve Carrell especially – was a herculean effort for the sequel. I could see that being as big, if not a bigger obstacle to try and surmount for a potential Anchorman 3.

Personally, as much as I love Anchorman, I am fine with this decision. The second film did start to feel a little bit thread-worn around the edges for me. Not enough to really impact my enjoyment of the film, but just enough to make me think that a third film would start to suffer under the laws of diminishing returns.