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Jack Black Still Wants to Make a Nacho Libre Sequel
Jack Black says he would still like to make a sequel to his 2006 comedy, Nacho Libre. The comedy star has certainly seen film successes since then - Tropic Thunder, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and three Kung Fu Panda's have all hit the big screen in the time since he last donned Nacho's wrestling mask, to name just a few. Yet the star still holds out hope that a sequel could happen.
Nacho Libre told the story of Ignacio, a cook for a monastery orphanage who secretly becomes a wrestler - taking on the name Nacho - in order to make enough money to afford quality food for the orphans he serves. The film was directed by Jared Hess, and written by Jared and Jerusha Hess and Mike White. Jared and Jerusha Hess - a husband and wife writing duo - had previously worked together to write the surprise hit, Napoleon Dynamite, which Jared also directed. The quirky tone of Dynamite and its cult following set high expectations for their follow-up in Nacho Libre. However, the wrestling comedy received mixed reviews upon its original release, and currently holds a "Rotten" label on Rotten Tomatoes at a score of 40 percent.
Black won't let the negative press keep him from dreaming, though. Speaking on The Jonathan Ross Show [via Deadline], Black stated, "I’ve always wanted to do another Nacho Libre." This is not the first time that Black has expressed his interest in returning to the character, either. The actor is quoted as saying in 2006:
"I sure hope [there’s a sequel]. I love working with Jared. I think it’s a good bet that we’ll collaborate on something again. Mike had an idea that it would be Nacho goes to Japan, we’ll see though."
Black is not foreign to the area of sequels. He has even expressed interest in how the next Jumanji installment could play out, offering the idea that it could have the story exploring outer space. His 2015 film, Goosebumps, based on the popular book series by R.L. Stine, is getting a sequel later this year, although Black was notably absent from the film's international trailer.
However, Nacho Libre is probably among the least likely films of Black's career to get a sequel. With the film already 12 years in the past and plenty of negative critical reviews surrounding it, it would be difficult to get a studio to back up a project such as Nacho, despite how much Black or even Hess would enjoy revisiting the character. While it could certainly be a fun film, the sequel will unfortunately likely stay simply a wish for Black.
