10 Years Later, Where’s Our Sequel To This Hilarious Melissa McCarthy + Jason Statham Spy Comedy?
Who’s the finest of them all?
No, not Bradley Fine, because he’s a Temu James Bond and can’t even wipe the smug look off his own face. It’s Susan Cooper! Written and directed by Paul Feig, Spy turns Melissa McCarthy’s desk-bound CIA analyst into an in-the-field badass operative who gets the job done. It has heart, humor, and hemorrhoids (yes, lots of chatter about that irritating – pardon the pun – condition). Yet, 10 years later, there hasn’t been a sequel to this spy comedy. Why, though?
‘Spy’ turned into a major win for 20th Century Fox in 2015
Sometimes, people clamor for sequels of movies that shouldn’t probably get them. They might not have made a lot of money at the box office, nor was the overall reception particularly positive toward them. Well, not in the case of Spy. Seriously, it was deemed a success by every possible metric. For example, did you know that this film made $236 million from a $60 million budget? If we use Hollywood’s weird formula that a movie needs to make back its budget three times over before it turns a profit, that means Spy made $56 million in pure profit – and that’s not counting the DVD/Blu-ray sales and streaming rights that came after. This isn’t a Marvel production, or even a major blockbuster, so that number is pretty impressive and living proof that the concept appealed to people.
Now, Melissa McCarthy movies can be hit and miss with critics and audiences at the best of times; however, Spy was warmly received across the board. The film holds 95% critical approval and a 78% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. To top it off, it garnered two Golden Globe nominations, cementing itself as the real deal to awards bodies as well.
Of course, Spy 2 could have been one of the various projects impacted by Disney’s acquisition of Fox that happened in the late 2010s. X-Men fans know all about the various projects impacted and cancelled in the lead-up to the merger, because the studio suits couldn’t get their ducks in a row for the most part. It wouldn’t be too shocking to find out that a Spy sequel may have been caught up in this corporate maelstrom, falling down the totem pole of priorities or to the wayside in general.
There was a plan for ‘Spy 2’
Almost immediately after Spy was released, Paul Feig revealed he was working on a script for a sequel – and why wouldn’t he? The film was a big hit, and he had built up a solid working relationship with Melissa McCarthy over the years, so Spy 2 would allow them to continue making magic together and revisit the character of Susan Cooper. Then… nothing?!
In 2019, Feig revealed the reason that the sequel never happened to Total Film. “I felt like we could definitely do more of these,” he said. “But we haven’t so far because there hasn’t been interest from the studio in it.” At the same time, Feig confirmed that he had a great idea for Spy 2, so all that was necessary was a studio’s appetite for it. It’s disappointing, because as more time passes, the chances of a sequel become less likely. There was an opportunity to strike while the iron was hot, but now maybe too much time has passed – or has it?
As recently as 2024, Melissa McCarthy reaffirmed her commitment to the sequel. Appearing on Watch What Happens: Live, McCarthy said that she’s waiting for the call. “I’ve been saying since the day we ended doing [Spy], I was, like, ‘Let’s re-rack it and do it again,'” she explained. “I’m in. I think everyone that did it [too]. We’ve all talked about it. We’re like, ‘Let’s do it.'” Yes, let’s!
‘Spy 2’ needs to bring back the team of Melissa McCarthy and Jason Statham
If you recall the end scene of Spy, Melissa McCarthy’s Susan Cooper and Jason Statham’s Rick Ford find themselves in bed together. It’s an eye-opening moment, because Susan seemingly couldn’t stand Ford, even though they had reached a level of mutual respect by the end.
What’s never in any doubt, though, is the fantastic chemistry between McCarthy and Statham in Spy. Most people forget that Statham is actually capable of comedic performances, and he’s much more than just the rugged action hero playing the same character in every movie. Spy afforded him the opportunity to show off another side of himself as a performer, while McCarthy played off him to perfection. They gave us something special in that film, and that connection deserves a revisit. For heaven’s sake, Hollywood can drop millions on endless sequels for Adam Sandler movies; surely, they could spare a few coins for Spy 2, right?
