“Napoleon Dynamite” was the ultimate accidental cult classic—a low-budget, deadpan tackling of awkward teens, tater tots, and tetherball that somehow turned a llama-feeding nerd in moon boots into a mid-2000s icon.
Released in 2004 and directed by Jared Hess, it confused half the country and captivated the other with its utter refusal to be cool, funny in any conventional sense, or remotely plot-driven. It was like someone filmed a school project in rural Idaho, forgot to add a real ending, and then dared America to worship it—and they did, slapping “Vote for Pedro” on every t-shirt while quoting it like gospel. It was weird. Would it work today? Probably not. But for one glorious summer, awkward was king.
And yet, here’s Puck’s Matt Belloni reporting that a “Napoleon Dynamite” sequel is in the works at Searchlight. Guys, are we really doing this?
It turns out that Hess, who is coming off having directed the blockbuster “Minecraft,” now has a lot of leverage to make this sequel happen. The film was deeply personal to Hess, as if you can believe it, it was based on his experiences growing up in Preston, Idaho.
There’s also certainly been interest from the original cast and crew.
Jon Heder, who portrayed Napoleon, had expressed a strong desire to return—but only if director Hess was involved. Efren Ramirez, who played Pedro, has also shown enthusiasm for revisiting the character. He mentioned that "everyone wants a sequel," and noted that "the door's not closed yet," suggesting that a real possibility of it happening.
“Napoleon Dynamite” was a surprise hit in the summer of 2004, grossing $46 million worldwide against a tiny budget of just around $400,000. However, it was its ongoing popularity via DVD sales and streaming that solidified its lasting cultural status. Making a sequel out of something like this is a risky proposition.