Beloved “The Good Wife” actor and “The Traitors” host Alan Cumming has blasted Hollywood over the lack of a sequel to the 1997 comedy “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion”.
The original 1997 film, starring Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow, was a modest box office hit but has since become a major cult classic. While there has been talk of a follow-up for years, nothing has ever come of it.
Sorvino did offer an update back in June on the “Today” show, saying: “We’re getting closer. Something might be in the works. There’s nothing official to report, but I can unofficially hint that we’re closer than we’ve ever been to getting something to happen.” Eight months later and nothing appears to have progressed.
Cumming appears in the final act of the original as Sandy Frink, the school geek who is now a wealthy, successful businessman and still harbors a crush in Kudrow’s Michele. He tells The AV Club why he thinks there isn’t a sequel:
“I would love to do a sequel. I have to say, I think the fact that there hasn’t been is a really big example of the misogyny of Hollywood. You know, I think that the things I’ve heard about why, sort of like, ‘Oh, you know, they’re getting on a bit, older women, blah blah blah.’ Terrible. It’s such a popular film. If it was two men in that, you know, two men successful film, we would’ve had six by now.”
Cumming was then asked about Sorvino’s hint that sequel was in the works to which he says he had not heard anything about a sequel but said he would be open to making it happen:
“I’d be very in for it. You know, I have such fond memories of that film. And obviously, it’s sort of this cultural iconic thing, and everybody of a certain generation, it’s really a special thing for them.”
The film did have a life beyond the original film, including a prequel telemovie for ABC Family in 2005 starring Katherine Heigl played Romy and Alexandra Breckenridge as Michele. Meanwhile, a musical adaptation of the film opened in Seattle in 2017.
