Coming Soon: Anchorman 2!

Release Date: December 20, 2013
Rating: PG-13

Directed by: Adam McKay

Written by: Will Ferrell, Adam McKay

Starring: Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, and Christina Applegate

Running time: 119 minutes

With the 70's behind him, San Diego's top-rated anchorman, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), returns to the news desk in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. Also back for more are Ron's co-anchor and wife, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), weather man Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), man on the street Brian Fontana (Paul Rudd) and sports guy Champ Kind (David Koechner) - All of whom won't make it easy to stay classy while taking the nation's first 24-hour news channel by storm.

One of the most memorable and quotable comedies of the twenty-first century is finally getting the long-awaiting sequel we've all been hoping for since 2004! For years the cast of Anchorman have teased a possible reunion, with even a couple of false starts keeping the expectations of fans at the breaking point. After eight years, some might think the novelty would have worn off, but clearly fans of the original are clamoring for the sequel's release later this week.

This film, like the original "Legend of Ron Burgundy", stars a comedic tour-de force of Will Ferrell, Steve Carrell, Paul Rudd, and David Koechner. While the last film marked a break-out performance from cast members like Carell, the stars have only increased in fame and demand since 2004 (surely one of the contributing factors to the delay of the film's release). When asked about what made them want to return to this sequel when they virtually had their pick of roles, Paul Rudd said, "For me, mainly it was like working with these guys again who I love... it was such a blast doing the first one that... I would jump at the chance to come back and beat a dead horse."

Carell responded in a similar fashion. "I think we all felt exactly the same way. We all just wanted to do it for the sake of doing it, and I think we all would have done it in a vacuum. Even if there was no camera, we would have come back and done it, because it's so much fun." Clearly this is a sentiment shared by fans, as Carell can hardly go anywhere without lines from his Anchorman character, Brick, being shouted at him. "I love lamp," he said simply, when asked which line was quoted to him most. Even when doing public shoots for things like The Office, Carell is still besieged by rabid fans of his work in the first Anchorman film.

Koechner, Rudd, Ferrell, and Carrell (from left to right)

With all of the hype and build-up for this sequel, it's easy to assume that all of the stars are merely coasting on the good will of the first film. It seems fairly common-place for comedies to not only bring nothing new to the table, but to commit the cardinal sin of showing the funniest scenes (and often the only funny scenes) in the trailer. While this film's trailer does boast some hilarious moments, Carell assures us that there are plenty of great scenes in store. "There's so much more," he said. "You know, you look at the trailer and you think, wow... they put everything in that they could and that's the entire movie. But there's so much more than is in the trailer, and funnier. So, I'm kind of psyched about the whole thing."

Fans who may be tentative about the film need look no further than the entire creative team's return as well as a cavalcade of new faces and talents (not to mention almost twice the production budget of the first film). With tickets pre-selling in droves and hungry fans desperate for more from Ron Burgundy and company, it's safe to say that Anchorman 2 is shaping up to be the comedy hit of the year. Anchorman 2 is being released nationwide on December 20th. Empty seats may be hard to come by, so be sure to get your tickets now!

*For more information about this film, please visit the official Anchorman 2 web site.

For the full interview with Steve Carell and Paul Rudd, click here!

<-- (Don't forget to click a theatre link to find showtimes of Anchorman 2 in a theater near you!)