The Wayans family. Shawn, Marlon, Keenan Ivory, Damon, Kim; the family tree goes on and on. With that many members and that much talent, it’s not surprising they’d be behind comedy staples like “In Living Color,” “The Wayans Brothers,” 2 “Scary Movie” films, and cult classic, “Don’t be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood.”
And then there’s “”White Chicks,”…which is apparently getting a sequel.
It’s hard to believe that this June, it’ll have been 21 years since “White Chicks” debuted in theaters. The film, directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans was also written by him and its stars, Shawn and Marlon. The latter two brothers play FBI agents who disguise themselves as two young white women. The objective? To foil a kidnapping plot of rich socialites. What better way to foil it than by posing as rich “white chicks” so they can turn the tables on the kidnappers. Oh, and point out the absurdity of ditsy, mid 2000’s, rich white people.
The subject matter is rich with the potential for satire, but the absurdity of the script, necessity for suspension of disbelief, and low brow humor will leave you either loving it or hating it. Critics hated it. Roger Ebert gave it 1 and a half stars and stated, “Are there any insights about the races here? No. Are there any insights into the gender gap? No. As men or women, black or white, the Wayans brothers play exactly the same person: an interchangeable cog in a sitcom.” It did however, do surprisingly well at the box office. Off a budget of 37 million it grossed 113. Guess that’s one reason why it’s gearing up for a sequel.
“Good Morning America” spoke with Marlon Wayans about the film and its endearing popularity as a cult classic. “They love that movie, and, you know, I think it’s time,” he said. He also mentioned “Scary Movie 6.” As mentioned earlier, the first two movies were products of the Wayans brothers before switching over to Pat Proft and David Zucker who worked on “The Naked Gun“ films and other related projects.
Is there really a time for “White Chicks 2?” Looking back through films that topped the box office over the last few years reveals a stunning lack of straight up comedies. The closest you’ll find is the musical comedy version of “Mean Girls,” and the superhero comedy of “Deadpool & Wolverine.” It’s highly doubtful “White Chicks 2″will be the harbinger of comedic, box office gold. But who knows, maybe we’ll be surprised and the desire for a sequel is a lot stronger than we thought.
