🚨Night at the Museum Update: Another Sequel is in the Works🚨
Hello everyone. It has recently come to my attention that we can expect yet another NATM movie.
A few months ago, articles were being shared that Shawn Levy (the original director) and his production company, 21 Laps Entertainment, were going to be working on a new film. I think it's safe to assume that it will be live action.
The screenwriter is said to be Tripper Clancy, whose IMDb briefly says he has worked on: Stuber (2019), I Am Not Okay with This (2020), and Die Hart (2020). It also states that he is 6' 4" if that helps anyone.
I am still unsure where/when we will be able to watch this. The NATM films can be watched on Disney+ along with the animated sequel which premiered on there. Perhaps we will be able to have a movie theater experience with this one.
The unfortunate part is that I believe our time with Larry Daley and the original band of exhibits has come to an end. Although Ben Stiller himself has posted being ready to make another sequel (as he was not casted in the animation) and one of the original screenwriters Thomas Lennon (and voice actor of Teddy Roosevelt in the animation) has stated he is willing to work alongside Ben again in this franchise.
My question is how this plot will work.
If the museum exhibits only come to life by the Tablet of Ahkmenrah, Ahkmenrah would have to be in the movie (this is probably why I didn't like the animation as much because Ahkmenrah was nowhere to be found but they still had the tablet in New York when it has to be with him at all times and he was in London as per the third movie). As Larry said in the first movie, "Look, without that tablet, all of this — this whole coming to life at night thing, it all goes away."
If they make it so Ahkmenrah travels to a different museum — which is accurate with mummies travelling for viewing — I think there would be a stronger story.
I don't understand why they would be in the same museum with different characters. That would completely disregard the second movie in how Larry saved everyone from being archived so they could stay together. If it was all new characters it would feel as though the museum was completely renovated and saying it was the American Museum of Natural History would feel wrong for continuity purposes. And if it's a completely new reboot at the AMNH, then the plot of the museum coming together after having a good night guard after being mistreated by old ones for over 50 years makes me wonder where they would put a time frame on the museum if it wasn't an alternate universe. I wouldn't think it would be a prequel. Would it then be a period piece (the museum was founded in 1869) or is it going to be in the future where a lot of the exhibits we know are replaced? I think the latter would be so depressing. But if they're completely redoing the story of the same museum with a new night guard and different exhibits just for a new generation to like it, I think it will be a flop.
Anyway, feel free to share your thoughts and I'll leave you with these screenshots from the NATM Franchise Wikipedia and a Variety Facebook post.
And just as a reminder, there is still a NATM musical in the works by Alan Menken but it looks like production is still up in the air.