A fan poster teasing Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly’s Talladega Nights 2 is boosting anticipation for what a possible sequel could deliver.
2006's Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby became one of the year's biggest comedies, ranking as one of the 15 highest-grossing films in the world.
Star Will Ferrell led the way, telling the story of a wild and raunchy NASCAR driver who lived by one motto: "If you ain't first, you're last."
Explaining Talladega Nights 2 Speculation After Fan Poster
A fan poster on Facebook is going viral teasing a potential sequel to 2006's Talladega Nights with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly returning to reprise their roles.
The poster, which can be seen below, shows Ferrell as an older Ricky Bobby and Reilly as an aged-up Cal Naughton Jr. under a title card reading Talladega Nights 2: If We Ain't Shakin', We Ain't Bakin':
The poster also came with the following synopsis for the sequel:
"SHAKE AND BAKE ARE BACK!!! Buckle up for 'Talladega Nights 2: If We Ain't Shakin', We Ain't Bakin'' where Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly return as the world's least coordinated, but most beloved, racing duo, now with more wrinkles than their old fire suits. Two decades on, Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr. are back on the track, proving that even with achy joints and questionable diets, they can still burn rubber and Coca-Cola sponsorships. Hit the cinemas this June 2025 for a sequel so hot, it'll make your seat belts melt."
Important to note is that this poster comes from a satirical Facebook page well known for creating and sharing fake movie/TV posters, which are usually made using AI of some sort. This is the case with the Talladega Nights 2 poster, which is verifiably fake, as there is no real sequel currently in the works.
Most recently, fans saw a hypothetical poster for Adam Sandler's Big Daddy 2 gain the same level of popularity after going viral online.
Will Talladega Nights 2 Ever Release?
Following Talladega Nights' release in 2006, fans and critics have wondered about whether a sequel to the hit comedy could be possible.
While promoting The Big Short with Cinema Blend in 2015, director Adam McKay explained that there initially were ideas for a sequel. This would have seen Ricky Bobby going to drive in Europe, giving the story "more of an international" feel:
"We had an idea about [Ricky Bobby], that he goes and drives over in Europe, you know, so it could be like an international, more of an international type movie, American driver going to Formula 1. We kicked it around a little bit."
However, the idea of making a sequel did not interest him, as he made it clear how much fun he has with a chance to "create new worlds:"
"There are so many original ideas and it’s so much fun to create new worlds. We did it on 'Anchorman,' but like, for a bit at least, we’ll stick with original [movies]."
Star Will Ferrell offered the same disinterest in returning to this story while speaking to Andy Cohen in 2017. When asked about whether he would be up for returning to any of his classic films, he made it clear that fans should "just let 'em stand on their own."
While he had discussions about a possible sequel to Step Brothers, he echoed McKay's sentiments on wanting "to create new things:"
"We talked a little bit about 'Step Brothers,' so who knows… but at the same time, you like to create new things."
Ferrell also famously avoided doing a sequel to 2003's Elf, feeling that a direct sequel was probably not the right move for that movie.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby can be streamed on Peacock.
