'Hangover Part II': Can It Break $125 Million At The Box Office?

For the last few days, Hollywood has been abuzz over the idea that "The Hangover Part II" could pull over $125 million into its boozy box-office wake over the extended five-day Memorial Day holiday. Could an R-rated comedy really do such boffo biz?

It's looking increasingly like it can. Wednesday's midnight screenings of "Hangover" pulled in $10.4 million, a record for an R movie. Thursday followed suit, with a final gross of $31.6 million — another R-rated record for biggest opening day ever. Many schools and colleges are now on break, audiences have been giving the flick an A- CinemaScore and not even tepid critical reviews can seem to stop the inevitable.

"We think it will crack $125 million," BoxOffice.com editor Phil Contrino said. "Our prediction was $129 million, and that's looking like a real possibility. These movies appeal to anyone who has ever greeted the morning with dry mouth and a splitting headache. But the films also have heart underneath all the raunchiness. They are about all the mixed feelings that people have before getting married. Do I like my spouse's family? Do I really want to stop having fun?"

Other industry experts are not as convinced. David Poland of Movie City News is taking a wait-and-see approach while noting that anything over $100 million during the extended weekend would be considered a huge success. "The swing, with numbers this big, is $25-plus million in five days," he said. "There's no way to know how much of the must-see-or-die audience has been served by this huge Thursday. We can all guess, but we're just guessing."

Poland compared the "Hangover" sequel's opening to the second "Matrix" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" films: The originals were surprise blockbusters and the follow-ups received a "mega-opening in response." Helping spur audience excitement, he also noted, was a top-notch marketing campaign including exceptional TV spots. "I've seen the film and they make me want to see it again," he said. "They do exactly what a sequel wants to do — click into the characters you love and promise more."

All of this makes "The Hangover Part III" seem less like just a possibility than an unavoidability. Even last year's "Due Date," which director Todd Phillips shot between "Hangover" flicks, grossed $212 million worldwide. The guy can do no wrong for his studio. As Contrino put it, "He will be in a league of his own after this movie. Warner Bros. would let him film an adaptation of the phone book at this point just to keep him happy."

So while the filmmaker continues to keep his studio bosses and audiences delighted, it doesn't seem like he'll start to give a hoot what critics — those who love him as well as those who hate him — think. "He knew that the nasty reviews for this were coming," Poland said. "He doesn't get the amount of space from critics that, for instance, Judd Apatow gets. So maybe that will be his secret goal, though I believe him completely when he says that he won't start making other kinds of movies or adjusting what he thinks is funny just to get the critical love he wants. No 'Funny People' coming from Todd."

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'Hangover Part II' Stars Promise 'A Lot More Comedy' In Sequel

Given the incredible box-office success of 2009's mega-hit comedy "The Hangover," it seemed as though a future installment of the outlandish antics of "Wolf Pack" members Alan, Stu and Phil would be inevitable. Which brings us to "The Hangover Part II," which is opening in theaters this weekend.

MTV News caught up with the men behind the magic recently, actors Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, who not only explained Cooper's head-shaving skills, but also revealed that the main castmembers were originally hesitant to venture into sequel territory.

"I think it was more excitement once we got the second script, which was really wonderful — actually stronger than the first one," Cooper said of getting the gang back together again. "It was just utter excitement to play these characters again and hopefully deliver a movie where fans will be excited to see what happened. We get to see where Alan lives, we get to see Stu progress to two years, Phil as well, so I think it was just exciting to hopefully provide a lot more comedy for people who liked the first one."

Helms has also said that there was some hesitancy to try and make lightning strike twice in a second film.

"We had no idea that 'The Hangover' would do what it did, so we were all kind of blown away," Helms told us at a New York screening of the film. "But then very quickly a conversation for a sequel started, and we were all kind of like, 'I don't know.' And then Todd showed us the script, and it was amazing, so we were like, 'Yeah, let's do that.' "

Regarding what audiences can expect from "Hangover Part II," Helms said to expect a bit more of the same.

"[It's] disturbing, horrifying, unnerving," he said. "Oh, and also hilarious. I forgot that ... Lots of craziness happened on set, and you'll see all of that in the movie."

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'Hangover 2' Stars Talk 'Chaos' At New York Premiere

NEW YORK CITY — Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and director Todd Phillips all showed up at the Landmark Sunshine Theater on Monday night to celebrate the premiere of "The Hangover Part II," the follow-up to 2009's hit buddy comedy about the aftermath of a lost night of debauchery in Las Vegas. Helms told MTV News on the red carpet that he never expected that he and his castmates would get back together for more partying and antics.

"We had no idea that 'The Hangover' would do what it did so we were all kind of blown away," Helms recalled. "But then very quickly a conversation for a sequel started and we were all kind of like, 'I don't know.' And then Todd showed us the script and it was amazing, so we were like, 'Yeah, let's do that.' "

The "that" turned out to be just as crazy as the first time around, with Helms, Cooper and Zach Galifianakis trying to piece together another lost evening of overindulgence, this time in Bangkok, Thailand. So, how would Helms describe the new flick? "Disturbing, horrifying, unnerving," he said. "Oh, and also hilarious. I forgot that ... Lots of craziness happened on set and you'll see all of that in the movie."

Phillips' description of the movie seems to mirror that of Helms. "Here's what it is: It's like the movie is about chaos [and] to capture chaos, you have to go to chaos, and we went to Bangkok," the director explained. Well, it seems that some people got a bit too caught up in the chaos.

"We lost them to their various vices and addictions," he added. "And in Bangkok, I think we had the same problem [that we had in Las Vegas for the first film]. It makes it a little harder [when people get caught up in the chaos]. There's always three or four guys that seem like weak links, that are, and you can tell when you're going to lose a crew guy to their vices and their wife comes and gets them and puts them in rehab and it gets better."

So how much are the "Hangover" stars like their characters in the film? "Well, we're exactly like the characters, but not how you think," Helms quipped. "I'm exactly like Zach, Zach's exactly like Bradley and Bradley's exactly like me, so go figure ... I have a huge beard and I'm a little portly."

Are you planning to see "The Hangover Part II" when it opens this weekend? Tell us in the comments.

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'Hangover Part II' Stars Talk Bradley Cooper's Head-Shaving Skills

Those crazy boys of summer are back. We're talking, of course, about Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms, stars of the highly anticipated "Hangover Part II." At the film's NYC premiere earlier this week, the guys told us about the "chaos" of their pre-release press blitz, and now, MTV News takes you inside the chaos of filming the "Hangover" sequel.

When talking about how the photo montages at the ends of both films were compiled, Cooper and Galifianakis ended up in a back-and-forth about Cooper's head-shaving skills.

"It runs a similar course as the filming of the movie," Cooper said when asked about when the photos for the montages were taken. "We would allocate time in the shooting day to do stills throughout the movie, so at the end, you have all the stills, but it's not like we have two days and we shoot all the stills; it's throughout the whole film."

With regard to Galifianakis' shaved head, which occurs during a scene in the film, we wanted to know if the actual clipping was performed by Cooper.

"Yeah," Cooper said. "I did a nice job."

"I mean, it's pretty easy," Galifianakis pointed out.

"It's not that easy," Cooper protested. "Your ears are very tight to your face."

"Bradley, everybody has a template. I mean, look at that picture," Galifianakis said, pointing to the film's promo poster, which features a photo of Galifianakis with a perfectly buzzed coif. "What I'm saying is, it's so easy to shave someone's head."

"I'm telling you, I did such a good job shaving his head they had to mess it up more, right? Tell them," Cooper insisted. "Tell them, Zach."

"Yes. That's true," Galifianakis said, relenting. "He did such a great job they had to mess up my hair more."

"Thank you," Cooper said, sounding pleased to receive the recognition.

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'Hangover Part II': The Reviews Are In!

By this point, if anyone is still doubting whether "The Hangover Part II" will be a massive worldwide hit, Wednesday's midnight screenings should quiet skeptics. Warner Bros. announced that the follow-up to 2009's record-smashing hit roped in $10.4 million in those early showings, setting a new midnight opening record for an R-rated film on its way to what many are predicting will become a $125 million opening over the five-day holiday weekend.

All this box-office talk gets even more impressive when you note reviews for the film have been decidedly mixed. While the first "Hangover" won over both critics and moviegoers, the sequel is currently languishing at just a 31 percent approval at the Rotten Tomatoes review aggregator. Critics have pointed out how the second film follows the plot points of the original far too closely. They've also argued that the sequel simply isn't as funny as the first. Other reviews, however, are still getting a kick out of watching the Wolf Pack flail and fail all over again, similarities are not. Read on for a deep dive into the "Hangover Part II" reviews:

The Story
" 'The Hangover Part II' opts for the most popular cure: the hair of the dog that bit it. In other words, the sequel is almost identical to the first 'Hangover.' This time, dweeby Stu (Ed Helms), slick Phil (Bradley Cooper) and attention sponge Alan (Zach Galifianakis) are at a wedding (Stu's) in Thailand, instead of Las Vegas, but the rest is pretty much the same. The movie starts with the three waking up after a night of debauchery, with one of their pals missing, with a threatening crook on their tails and with vague knowledge of peccadilloes both sexual and chemical. Oh, and Mike Tyson is tangentially involved (Stu has a facial tattoo just like the former champ's). They spend the rest of the movie trying to make it to the wedding while piecing together clues to what happened the previous night and searching desperately for their missing bud." — Chris Hewitt, St. Paul Pioneer Press

The Laughs
"[The] laughs aren't just staged, they're superlatively engineered — even if that means, at moments, that they feel like they're falling into formatted slots. When they don't, the movie can be flat-out hilarious. As the guys begin their desperate search for a missing bank account number (they have to give it to a drug lord or he'll kill them), it's no surprise to discover that they went to a Bangkok strip bar. And when we learn what happened in that club to Stu — who hasn't shaken his tendency to fall drunkenly head over heels in love with hookers — you may see the twist coming, but you won't foresee the casual outrageousness of the dialogue, the kind that keeps on giving. Yet that sort of choke-on-your-popcorn laugh is more the exception than the rule." — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

The Performances
"Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis slide into their roles as if they didn't go on to play other characters in the interim, although at least two of the three (Helms being the exception) have seen significant career upticks. Phil is the good-looking leader, Stu is the worry-wart nerd, and Alan is quite possibly the most loathsome individual to have crawled out from under a rock. He's not a loveable loser; he's a detestable loser — and that's where a lot of the comedy comes from. Galifianakis stole the show in 'The Hangover,' and he steals it here. Refreshingly, [director Todd] Phillips does not feel the need to give Alan a heroic moment of redemption." — James Berardinelli, ReelViews

The Comparison
"The stock dismissal 'more of the same' has rarely been more accurately applied to a sequel than to 'The Hangover Part II,' which ranks as little more than a faded copy of its predecessor superimposed on a more brightly colored background. One can understand director Todd Phillips' initial reluctance to tinker with a formula that made the 2009 romp the highest-grossing R-rated comedy ever, but the rote professionalism on display verges on cynicism, and despite some occasional sparks, this ranks as a considerable disappointment. Box office should be huge all the same." — Andrew Barker, Variety

The Final Word
That comfortable air of familiarity provided by the returning characters also extends to many of the original's more inspired bits — but to less potent effect. Still, even a milder 'Hangover' manages to deliver more laughs than most of the competition. ... In addition to that hard-to-replicate element of surprise, also in short supply here is the manic energy that made the original such a delightfully unpredictable ride. The reunited cast looks to have been up for a greater challenge, especially gonzo Galifianakis, who emerged as the breakout star of the first 'Hangover.' " — Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter

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'Hangover Part II' Stars Call Bangkok A 'Tropical Metropolis'

For those getting ready to see "The Hangover Part II" this weekend, there are a few things we'd like you to know about the film before settling into your seat with your popcorn.

First, check out our handy cheat sheet on the film. Next, we have a few fun details straight from the stars themselves — Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis — who have discussed Cooper's head-shaving skills and promised "a lot more comedy" in the second installment.

There is also the new-and-improved setting of Bangkok, Thailand. When we caught up with the actors recently, we asked them to describe filming on location in Bangkok.

"Bangkok is a tropical metropolis," Helms said. "It is very hot and steamy, incredibly urban, [there are] huge skyscrapers mixed in with abject poverty right tucked around it. It's totally mind-blowing."

"[It's a] Buddhist culture," Cooper jumped in. "Buddhist/Muslim."

"It's just an unbelievably dense place," Helms continued. "And it's just so colorful and eclectic and stimulating and overwhelming that even as a tourist with nothing to do but have fun, it's overwhelming. When you're trying to work there, it's brutal."

The boys then briefly debated how many people live in the city: 9 million, according to Helms, 12 million, according to Galifianakis (according to the U.N., it's 9.3 million).

"It also sounds like a 13-year-old tourist named everything," Galifianakis added with a grin, before naming a few familiar Bangkok-ian colloquialisms. "Bangkok, ladyboy, pu pu platter," he listed, trailing off into a few giggles.

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'Hangover Part II': The Reviews Are In!

By this point, if anyone is still doubting whether "The Hangover Part II" will be a massive worldwide hit, Wednesday's midnight screenings should quiet skeptics. Warner Bros. announced that the follow-up to 2009's record-smashing hit roped in $10.4 million in those early showings, setting a new midnight opening record for an R-rated film on its way to what many are predicting will become a $125 million opening over the five-day holiday weekend.

All this box-office talk gets even more impressive when you note reviews for the film have been decidedly mixed. While the first "Hangover" won over both critics and moviegoers, the sequel is currently languishing at just a 31 percent approval at the Rotten Tomatoes review aggregator. Critics have pointed out how the second film follows the plot points of the original far too closely. They've also argued that the sequel simply isn't as funny as the first. Other reviews, however, are still getting a kick out of watching the Wolf Pack flail and fail all over again, similarities are not. Read on for a deep dive into the "Hangover Part II" reviews:

The Story
" 'The Hangover Part II' opts for the most popular cure: the hair of the dog that bit it. In other words, the sequel is almost identical to the first 'Hangover.' This time, dweeby Stu (Ed Helms), slick Phil (Bradley Cooper) and attention sponge Alan (Zach Galifianakis) are at a wedding (Stu's) in Thailand, instead of Las Vegas, but the rest is pretty much the same. The movie starts with the three waking up after a night of debauchery, with one of their pals missing, with a threatening crook on their tails and with vague knowledge of peccadilloes both sexual and chemical. Oh, and Mike Tyson is tangentially involved (Stu has a facial tattoo just like the former champ's). They spend the rest of the movie trying to make it to the wedding while piecing together clues to what happened the previous night and searching desperately for their missing bud." — Chris Hewitt, St. Paul Pioneer Press

The Laughs
"[The] laughs aren't just staged, they're superlatively engineered — even if that means, at moments, that they feel like they're falling into formatted slots. When they don't, the movie can be flat-out hilarious. As the guys begin their desperate search for a missing bank account number (they have to give it to a drug lord or he'll kill them), it's no surprise to discover that they went to a Bangkok strip bar. And when we learn what happened in that club to Stu — who hasn't shaken his tendency to fall drunkenly head over heels in love with hookers — you may see the twist coming, but you won't foresee the casual outrageousness of the dialogue, the kind that keeps on giving. Yet that sort of choke-on-your-popcorn laugh is more the exception than the rule." — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

The Performances
"Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis slide into their roles as if they didn't go on to play other characters in the interim, although at least two of the three (Helms being the exception) have seen significant career upticks. Phil is the good-looking leader, Stu is the worry-wart nerd, and Alan is quite possibly the most loathsome individual to have crawled out from under a rock. He's not a loveable loser; he's a detestable loser — and that's where a lot of the comedy comes from. Galifianakis stole the show in 'The Hangover,' and he steals it here. Refreshingly, [director Todd] Phillips does not feel the need to give Alan a heroic moment of redemption." — James Berardinelli, ReelViews

The Comparison
"The stock dismissal 'more of the same' has rarely been more accurately applied to a sequel than to 'The Hangover Part II,' which ranks as little more than a faded copy of its predecessor superimposed on a more brightly colored background. One can understand director Todd Phillips' initial reluctance to tinker with a formula that made the 2009 romp the highest-grossing R-rated comedy ever, but the rote professionalism on display verges on cynicism, and despite some occasional sparks, this ranks as a considerable disappointment. Box office should be huge all the same." — Andrew Barker, Variety

The Final Word
That comfortable air of familiarity provided by the returning characters also extends to many of the original's more inspired bits — but to less potent effect. Still, even a milder 'Hangover' manages to deliver more laughs than most of the competition. ... In addition to that hard-to-replicate element of surprise, also in short supply here is the manic energy that made the original such a delightfully unpredictable ride. The reunited cast looks to have been up for a greater challenge, especially gonzo Galifianakis, who emerged as the breakout star of the first 'Hangover.' " — Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter

Check out everything we've got on "The Hangover Part II."

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