Can Ron Burgundy Break Box Office Records?

With constantly running Durango commercials featuring its star and trailers that seem to be breathlessly anticipated as soon as they hit the Internet, the following question may already be fair to ask:

Will Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues have the biggest comedy opening of all time?

The sequel is out December 20th and for the next two months, we’ll see Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) hawking those cars on TV in between football games and our favorite shows. We’ll also be constantly watching the series of YouTube trailers that have been released and will continue to be released.

Anchorman 2 is in a unique position to vie for that throne. The 2004 original was a hit – but not a massive hit. It grossed $85.2 million domestically – less than other Ferrell movies Elf, Talladega Nights, Blades of Glory, Step Brothers, The Other Guys, and The Campaign. 

However, few comedies have achieved the massive beloved status that Anchorman has. It’s probably the most quoted comedy of the last decade – only Napoleon Dynamite from the same year comes close in my view. Some of the costars of the original – namely Steve Carell and Paul Rudd – have become big stars in their own right since its release. Put simply, this sequel is highly anticipated – and its marketing campaign has been outstanding so far.

If Anchorman 2 were have the biggest comedy opening ever, it would need to beat another eagerly awaited sequel in the genre – The Hangover Part II, which earned $85.9 million in its opening weekend in 2011. You’ll note that if that were achieved – that would mean Anchorman 2 would make more in its first three days than the original did in its entire domestic theatrical run. There is precedent for that. In 1997, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery was a cult hit that earned $53 million in its whole run. In the two years that followed, that film became a sensation (and also endlessly quoted much like Anchorman). In 1999, its sequel The Spy Who Shagged Me made $54 million in its opening three days.

That could happen here and if it did – Ron, Brian, Champ, and Brick can claim opening weekend comedy dominance. We’re still a few weeks away and I’m not sure if it will. If it did – that would kind of be a big deal (as Ron might say).