- Director Andy Tennant told Insider he’s written a treatment for a “Sweet Home Alabama 2.”
- It would revolve around a college visit Reese Witherspoon and Melanie Lynskey’s characters have with their kids.
There’s an idea in place if the classic Reese Witherspoon rom-com “Sweet Home Alabama” ever gets a sequel.
In celebration of the movie’s 20th anniversary, Insider chatted with Lucas, who played the romantic lead Jake, and director Andy Tennant, who revealed he’s written a treatment for a sequel.
“Reese’s daughter, Ava, went to school with my son, so I would see Reese on occasion,” said Tennant of life since “Sweet Home Alabama” opened in theaters. “When the movie got to like 13 to 14 years later, I started thinking where they would all be. Where are those four characters now: Melanie (Witherspoon), Jake (Lucas), Andrew (Patrick Dempsey), and Melanie Lynskey’s character, Lurlynn?”
“My kids were going through college so it got me thinking about a new generation of kids going to school and young love and what that would do to parents when they see their kids being real grown-ups,” Tennant continued. “If the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, what is Melanie’s daughter like?”
Tennant said his treatment focuses on, “Reese’s character and Melanie Lynskey’s character taking their kids on a college tour.”
Lucas told Insider he hasn’t read Tennant’s treatment yet, but the director has filled him in.
“Andy told me there would be an honesty to it,” Lucas said. “That Jake would have mid-life issues and that there are differences where Jake and Melanie landed.”
Lucas has some idea of his own of where Jake is now.
“Hell, maybe Jake now lives in a trailer park while Melanie had built this perfect life,” he said.
In the last year, Lucas has said he’s up for a part two. The problem is Witherspoon’s busy schedule.
“She’s her own version of Oprah Winfrey now,” he told SiriusXM in June 2021.
But that hasn’t stopped him and Tennant from trying to get a sequel off the ground.
“Josh and I continue to lobby Reese, but she’s busy,” the director said.
“I keep hearing that others from the movie would absolutely love to do it,” Lucas said. “I would love to do a ‘Sweet Home Alabama 2.'”
“Even Reese’s lawyer loved the treatment,” Tennant said. “But that’s as close as I got.”
