Night at the Museum writer and star Thomas Lennon hints that the franchise can continue. Starting in 2006, the Night at the Museum film series has always been a fun time for audiences. Starring Ben Stiller, the film centers on Larry Daley, a divorced father who answers a job offering to be a night watchman at the Museum of Natural History. He quickly discovers that the exhibits come to life due to an ancient tablet and throw Larry into an adventure of a lifetime. After three live-action films, an animated sequel titled Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again was produced for Disney+, though most of the characters were recast.
With the animated sequel now on Disney+, audiences were left wondering if the Night at the Museum films would continue in this format. Lennon, who had originally co-written the first two films and provided the voice of Teddy Roosevelt in the new one, gave a favorable response while speaking with ComicBook.com. Following Disney’s purchase of 20th Century Fox, the studio has taken advantage of the newly acquired IP with films such as Home Sweet Home Alone and Prey. It would not be surprising that they would continue to open new opportunities with a successful series such as Night at the Museum, as Lennon hopes so. Read his comment below:
The new Disney+ [movie] is also really funny. [It’s] really great. It opens up a lot of new possibilities for it. I’m a pretty big Night at the Museum fan.
Why Night At The Museum’s Future Is Animation
Night at the Museum is based on the children’s book of the same name by Milan Trenc. The original story focused on a night watchman named Hector who discovers that the dinosaur skeletons come to life every night. The book was optioned for a film adaptation with Shawn Levy attached to direct. He would eventually lead all three films and act as producer on the fourth one. Lennon co-wrote the first two films and made an uncredited cameo in the second film as one of the Wright Brothers. His agent emailed him asking if he wanted to play Roosevelt in the animated sequel, which caught him off guard, stating, “That’s hilarious because I made up that character.”
Lennon had also expressed interest in continuing the role of Roosevelt in live-action should the series call for it. With the advent of Disney+, however, it looks as if animation is the best way to carry on the Night at the Museum franchise. The high fantasy concepts work better in animation and allow the story to take the characters to places impossible to pull off in live-action. This was evidenced in the new film when the cast traveled to Ancient Egypt and battled the Egyptian God Seth.
As of right now, there is no new news regarding any future Night at the Museum installments, but it seems unlikely that Disney would pass up on the opportunity to do more with them. The film series has always been seen as a pleasant watch, and the shift to animation may be one of their best ideas. While another film is likely, Disney should also consider doing an animated series, as this could allow for many more possibilities and adventures for the museum crew. Only time will tell if Lennon will get his wish for a comeback.
Source: ComicBook.com