Back in Black: Jack Will Rock Again

Somebody at Paramount was listening back in June when Jack Black said he'd be down for a School of Rock sequel -- but only if director Richard Linklater returned, too. The studio acted quickly to get Black and Linklater back. It probably wasn't that difficult getting them to make a sequel for their most successful film at the box office to date, especially since it was also loved by critics. In fact, Paramount got writer [And Jack Black name-nemesis! - Zach] Mike White -- who's had his directorial debut since School of Rock -- and producer Scott Rudin -- who, you know, won an Oscar in the interim -- to return as well.

More than five years have passed, though, which means some of the kids are around 20, so they won't be back. Instead, this sequel, titled School of Rock 2: America Rocks, will send Black's character, Dewie Finn, on a cross-country field trip with a rock camp for kids.

This sounds like another case where they probably should have just left us with the one movie. After all, School of Rock was an unexpected hit because Black acted like at least a halfway normal person, but mostly because of the talented kids they chose to cast. Surely they can find kids that talented again, but it's not going to be such a surprise for audiences.

In other words, audience expectations are high this time around, so we're going to be more difficult to please. And there is a long history of bad sequels. Especially when we're talking about a cute, funny movie that no one expected. (Think Legally Blonde or Dumb and Dumber, and you'll get the other idea.)

Those terrible sequels have the power to make us forget that we ever liked that first movie. Try not to do that to us for School of Rock, okay guys?

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