Two decades after Napoleon Dynamite landed in theaters, the film’s stars continue to keep our hopes for a sequel alive. Written by Jerusha and Jared Hess, and directed by the latter, the 2004 cult classic film follows the adventures of awkward high-schooler Napoleon Dynamite (John Heder), his friend and aspiring class president Pedro Sánchez (Efren Ramirez), and Napoleon’s crush and fellow tetherball enthusiast Deb Bradshaw (Tina Majorino). During a conversation with ComicBook.com while promoting his upcoming horror western Seven Cemeteries, Ramirez discussed the possibility of a Napoleon Dynamite follow up, and it sounds promising:
“Everyone wants a sequel. And I can say this, legally, that the door’s not closed yet.”
Noting that “there’s more to tell” about the film’s beloved characters, he added:
“When you have a really good story, whether you make a prequel or a sequel, you can really explore the depths of these characters of where they would be, or where they came from, or what led them to be where they’re at.”
Created on a budget of just $400,000, Napoleon Dynamite was picked up by FoxSearchlight Pictures, Paramount Pictures and MTV Films after a Sundance release. It went on to gross $46.1 million at the box office and fared well with critics. Alongside Heder, Ramirez, and Majorino, the coming-of-age comedy starred Aaron Ruell as Napoleon’s brother Kip; Jon Gries as Uncle Rico; Shondrella Avery as Kip’s love interest, LaFawnduh Lucas; Sandy Martin as Grandma Carlinda Dynamite; and Haylie Duff and Emily Kennard as popular high school students Summer Wheatly and Trisha Stevens, respectively. The cast garnered praise for their quirky and comedic performances.
Where A Sequel Could Find Napoleon, Pedro & Uncle Rico
Embraced for its relatable awkwardness, its celebration of being your authentic self, rural living portrayal (the film is set in Preston, Idaho), and memorable one-liners, Napoleon Dynamite has become an adored cult classic. Being part of something like that, Ramirez says, is “amazing.”
“I travel across the country with Jon Heder and Jon Gries, and it’s amazing to see when we go on stage and see hundreds of people dressed up as the characters. To me, I say, ‘Wow, I’m a part of this. This is cool. I get to enjoy and play a character that resonates with people over the world.'”
While it’s unknown if a script for a sequel is even in the works, Napoleon Dynamite cast members have some ideas about what their characters could be up to now. In celebration of the film’s 20th anniversary, Heder, Ramirez, and Gries joined forces for a movie screening in Orlando, FL. earlier this year, where they shared their ideas. According to Heder, “Napoleon is probably paying child support to two different moms” while he’s still trying to make it work with Deb. As for Uncle Rico, Gries says he “started his own YouTube channel, ‘Backyard Teenage Wrestling'” which has resulted in legal issues due to “broken arms and broken ankles.” Sanchez’s Pedro, however, seems to be doing pretty well. He would head a law firm with his wife, Summer, and would “be running for city councilman” to “make everyone’s wildest dreams come true.”
Heder and Ramirez have reunited several times, appearing in 2010’s When in Rome, in Fox’s 2012 short-lived animated Napoleon Dynamite series (which the network canceled after just six episodes), and a 2016 Burger King ad for cheesy tots, but seeing them back as besties Napoleon and Pedro would be a nostalgic treat.