Super Troopers Embarrasses Hollywood’s Legacy Sequel Playbook

Super Troopers has embarrassed Hollywood’s legacy sequel playbook by writing its own rules.

It’s been eight years since we last saw the Vermont State Police, but they’re back for another comedic adventure in Super Troopers 3. The third movie is written by Broken Lizard, the comedic troupe consisting of Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske. The five comedians all star as the titular troopers, with Chandrasekhar also handling directing duties.

In an age when theatrical studio comedies are few and far between, Super Troopers continues to defy the odds. The guys at Broken Lizard understand how to execute a legacy sequel, something most major Hollywood studios are still trying to figure out.

Super Troopers avoids mistakes that doomed Zoolander 2 and other legacy comedy sequels

With every legacy comedy, the first question revolves around intention. Why is it being made? For Super Troopers 2, it was predominantly fan-driven. In 2015, Broken Lizard crowdsourced a sequel, reaching $2 million in roughly 26 hours after the fundraiser opened. By the time the campaign ended, Super Troopers 2 raised $4.7 million, leading Fox Searchlight Pictures to greenlight the film.

Super Troopers 2 was not a money grab, but it did turn a tidy profit. Released in 2018, Super Troopers 2 made roughly $32 million at the box office on a $13.5 million budget. That’s solid business for a studio.

These comedy sequels are not trying to be financial juggernauts that make over $100 million. In other words, they weren’t cash grabs like Zoolander 2, Caddyshack II, Blues Brothers 2000, and Coming 2 America. Those films tarnished the legacies of their predecessors rather than building upon what made the originals so special.

Most importantly, the Super Troopers sequels never abandoned their fans. These movies are not critical hits whatsoever. Broken Lizard clearly doesn’t care about the critics, and that’s a strength. Many critics don’t understand comedies. As long as they satisfy the fans who have supported them since 2001, then they did their job. It’s why these movies have such long lifespans on home video and streaming. Fans want to return to these movies and laugh with their favorite state troopers.

Super Troopers 3 opens in theaters on August 7, 2026.

Source: Comingsoon.net