There will be a sequel to the 2001 comedic blockbuster The Animal, titled The Animal 2, according to Deadline, over 20 years after the original’s release. Rob Schneider will reprise his role as Marvin Mange in the sequel; Mange is a police officer who becomes part beast after being rebuilt with animal parts by a crazy doctor. Schneider, together with his wife Patricia and writing partner Jamie Lissow, has written the screenplay for the sequel, and production on it has been given the go-ahead. Together with Michael McConnell of Zero Gravity management, he will direct and produce the picture. The official logline for the sequel describes Marvin Mange as having become “an old dog” who must “learn new tricks” as he sets out on a mission to find a new “uber-animal,” one that is considerably more powerful than him. In the follow-up, an elderly Marvin is involved in another accident and must once again be reconstructed using animal body parts.
He is kept in an animalistic form so that he can fight a dangerous beast that is threatening a community. The narrative of The Animal 2 is likely to be quite similar to the first film in the series. Schneider, Colleen Haskell, Ed Asner, Guy Torrey, Adam Sandler, and others feature in this remake of Luke Greenfield’s 2001 thriller. We follow Marvin Mange as he strives to become a police officer, one of his longtime goals. After suffering severe injuries in a vehicle crash, his life takes a lucky turn when a mad doctor reconstructs him using animal parts. This revitalises him, and Marvin becomes a great policeman, leaving his frailties behind. But his success as a law enforcement officer doesn’t last long since an unintended consequence of his process is that animal instincts begin to take control of his body at inopportune times.
The picture received negative reviews at its initial release but has gained a devoted fanbase over the subsequent two decades. Schneider was likely encouraged to make a sequel by the film’s consistent stream of enthusiastic fans. Schneider has been busy with more movies than only The Animal 2. The movie Daddy Daughter Trip, which he both directed and acted in, just came out last week. Notable comedies in which he has appeared include Hot Chick, Grown Ups, 50 First Dates, and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.
Production on The Animal 2 will commence so early in the new year, with an anticipated 2023 launch on the free streaming service Tubi. A definitive release date has not yet been announced.