Taxi
With the original movie ’s star recently expressing her interest in a sequel , Thomas Lennon call back the original scrap plans forTaxi 2 . Lennon and his originative partner , Robert Ben Garant , were bestow on to rewrite the script for the remaking ofLuc Besson ’s bump off actioncomedy of the same name , with the American version centering on skilled hack gadget driver Belle partnering with miserable NYPD detective Andy Washburn to stop a serial of bank robbery carried out by skilled getaway drivers . Led by Jimmy Fallon and Queen Latifah , Taxiwas a firm corner office succeeder in spite of its vital panning .
So , the amazing thing is that there already was a muckle for Taxi 2 in spot . Taxi with Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon , our rewrite of a Luc Besson depiction . Watch the Gallic one if you get a chance , it ’s a fortune of fun . So , that movie was focalise grouping and test so well that they were incontrovertible it was go to be a giant hitting . So , Fox was so bullish about it , they ’re like , " We ’re definitely making Taxi 2 . Sign the guy right now to write it . "
Lennon then conk on to humorously think how , upon the firstTaxi ’s outlet , " everyone detest it " , carry his surprise at the fact it went on to be " such a huge fizzle " . The co - writer also revealed how his father stupefy him a written matter of Roger Ebert’sYour Movie Sucks , which featured the late critic ’s bluntly negative recapitulation of his 2004 action clowning :
We signed the wad and then Taxi come out , everyone detest it . [ Laughs ] I dunno how it was such a Brobdingnagian flop . Taxi was so disliked that Roger Ebert included his review of Taxi in his ledger call Your Movie Sucks , which was his book of his best 10 dreadful recapitulation of films that he disdain , and my pop gave me that playscript for Christmas . " Merry Christmas , Tom . " And it had a brushup of a movie that we ’d written .
come back to the deal he and Garant had made with 20th Century Fox , Lennon would go on to reveal that the dyad were brought into the studio apartment to discourse other projects in lieu ofTaxi 2 . Being presented with a handful of choice of property the studio was looking to adjust , Lennon and Garant ultimately landed onNight at the Museum , with the former humorously saying " Taxi 2 did be , it ’s justNight at the Museum . " See what Lennon explain below :
Anyway , so it was test so well that they made us contract a deal for it . Of of course , then , they did n’t make Taxi 2 , and the whirl is that a workweek or two after Taxi had failed , we got called into Fox , and they were like , " Obviously , we ’re not doing a Taxi 2 . So , blame one of these three properties off of the table that you ’re going to write instead of Taxi 2 . " And the first one we look at was a little scene book , like a Goodnight Moon - style picture volume , call Night at the Museum . So , Taxi 2 did survive , it ’s just called Night at the Museum . [ Laughs ] In some ways that was good . I pen the frisking vista , I ’m still pretty proud of it . I thought it was blend to work in my top dog , and then it did .
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How Taxi 2’s Initial Scrapping Impacted Lennon & Garant’s Deal
It Didn’t Stop At Night At The Museum
Lennon and Garant ’s attachment toTaxicame on the heels of their success withRENO 911 ! , with the police drollery premiering the year before , butit also suffice as the duo ’s start of their lucrative movie composition life history . Prior to keep on their slew with Fox , the originative squad also expand their authorship talents to Disney , penning the scripts for both theLindsay Lohan - ledHerbiefranchise reboot , Herbie : Fully Loaded , and the Vin Diesel - led phratry action comedy , The Pacifier .
In add-on to Lennon and Garant , Herbie : Fully Loadedwas also written bySmallvilleandWednesdaycreators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar , withGame Night ’s Mark Perez co - developing the story with Lennon and Garant .
Coming back to Fox , though , Taxi ’s unsuccessful person did n’t touch on Lennon and Garant ’s writing careers too much with the studio when theyfollowed it up withNight at the Museum . Though having garner broadly motley follow-up , it was a surprise financial success , grossing over $ 574 million , becoming the fifth - highest - grossing motion-picture show of 2006 , and subsequently spawning a trilogy , for which Lennon and Garant only return to indite the second installment , but gain a " Based on Characters by " reference forSecret of the Tomb .
Given Lennon seems to indicate the mickle was only for one extra motion picture , the fact that they not only issue forth back for theNight at the Museumsequel , butalso partnered with Fox forRENO 911 ! : Miami , the first feature - duration adjustment of his , Garant and Kerri Kenney - Silver ’s cult Graeco-Roman show , shows just how effective of a team the studio was with the originative duo .
Our Take On Lennon’s Potential Taxi 2 Return
Lennon & Garant Deserve Another Chance After RENO 911!’s Continued Success
Though the movie may not have been a critical hit , the fact thatTaxigrossed over $ 70 million against its $ 25 million output budgetdoes leave alone some room for the hypothesis of a subsequence being made , even 20 years later . moreover , the fact that Latifah and Fallon both appear to be overt to the sequel , and the buddy comedy musical style is slow produce a comeback with everything fromBad Boys : Ride or DieandDeadpool & Wolverine , now seems like a good time to revisit the property .
When search for a Greco-Roman buddy comedy movie to watch , there are the obvious candidate . But there are a few great picks that deserve attention .
Arguably the expectant rationality why Lennon and Garant should come back forTaxi 2is the continued success they ’ve take in with theRENO 911!franchise . Even after taking an 11 - yr hiatus , the show returned initially on Quibi , followed by Roku to largely the same positive critical review as its original foot race , with Paramount+ and Comedy Central even having expanded it into two extra feature - distance moving-picture show , which fans of the show such as myself love . Between the benefit of time bringing lessons discover andLennon and Garant showing they ’ve still got itin the law comedy genre , I ’d love to see them get another crack .
