EXCLUSIVE: More than two decades after The Animal was released, the Rob Schneider comedy movie is getting a sequel on Fox’s AVOD platform Tubi. Schneider is back and will reprise his starring role as Marvin Mange, a police evidence clerk whose behavior changed after he got animal parts transplanted following a critical injury. He also co-wrote the script, produces and will direct the sequel whose green light hinges on Fox finalizing a deal with the studio behind the original film, Revolution.
In keeping with the theme of the movie, the official logline for the sequel, tentatively titled The Animal 2, is as follows: Marvin Mange, now an old dog, needs to learn new tricks as he hunts down a new uber-animal with powers far beyond his own.
I hear in it, Marvin, now retired, gets into an accident and has to be put together again with new animal parts. He goes on to take on a baddie who is threatening a village.
Schneider co-wrote the script with his wife, Patricia Schneider, and writing partner, Jamie Lissow. Content Partner’s Revolution Studios and Fox-owned MarVista Entertainment, which specializes in production and distribution of movies for cable and streaming.
Schneider and Michael McConnell of Zero Gravity Management serve as producers, with Scott Hemming of Content Partner’s Revolution Studios and Marianne Wunch, Ani Kevork, and Fernando Szew of MarVista Entertainment serving as executive producers.
The film is slated to begin production early next year to debut on Tubi in 2023.
The 2001 The Animal drew mixed reviews but performed well at the boxoffice, grossing $84.8M worldwide on a $47.8M budget, and has since become a cult hit. The green light for The Animal 2 continues the trend of movies getting sequels decades after the original, illustrated by the blockbuster success of Top Gun: Maverick.
Schneider most recently directed and stars in Daddy Daughter Trip, written by Lissow and Patricia Schneider, which opened last week. He is repped By Zero Gravity Management and APA. Lissow is repped By Gersh.
