Shawn Levy hasn’t stepped behind the camera to direct a romantic comedy since he helmed 2003's Just Married starring Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy, but he was involved as a producer on the rom com What Happens in Vegas which teamed up Kutcher and Cameron Diaz for the very first time. Levy’s a fan of the genre and believes What Happens in Vegas stands apart from the pack thanks in large part to its charismatic stars. “You keep it fresh with a pairing like this. You keep it fresh with one of these dream combos, like Cameron and Ashton,” explained Levy on what it takes to create an appealing romantic comedy.
Levy wouldn’t mind directing another romantic comedy, however working on the sequel to the 2006 mega blockbuster Night at the Museum is keeping him hopping. The director knows he set the bar high with the first film, but he’s positive fans of Night at the Museum won’t be let down by the sequel, Night at the Museum 2: Escape from the Smithsonian.
“I’ve got to tell you, the script is better, the cast is bigger, the action’s bigger, so we’re feeling pretty good,” said Levy while on the What Happens in Vegas red carpet. “I’m here telling you, I don’t think anyone’s going to be disappointed.”
Levy confirmed his Night at the Museum cast, which included Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais and Dick Van Dyke, is returning for the sequel. “Everybody…literally everybody is back. And we got Amy Adams playing Amelia Earhart. We got a number of other really cool pieces of casting, so it’s all good.”
Also back for the sequel will be a batch of familiar creatures. “They’re all back. Rexy is back. Dexter’s back, plus a lot more creatures.”
Levy isn’t reinventing the wheel for the second movie. Instead, he and Night at the Museum screenwriters Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon are expanding on what made the first film such a success. “We start by going to the Smithsonian, which is the biggest museum in the world,” said Levy on how this film builds on the original. “And it involves like aircrafts and various historical figures. It has 18 museums and I’ll just say that in this movie, they leave the museum. So it’s not just inside; they bust out into the world.”
Levy says he knew while he was filming Night at the Museum that they were onto something, but no one anticipated the film would be embraced the way it was by audiences worldwide. “We had a feeling it was going to do something, but you don’t expect like $585 million. It certainly changed my career - and it’s been really fun.”
* * * * * * * * *
Night at the Museum 2: Escape from the Smithsonian hits theaters on May 22, 2009.
