Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell will reprise their roles from the “All That” sketches and the 1997 film for its sequel 26 Years Later.
Welcome to Paramount+, home of the movie “Good Burger 2”. Can Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell take your order?
Paramount+ has ordered a sequel to the classic ’90s film “Good Burger.” Both Thompson and Mitchell return to reprise their respective roles as Dexter Reed and Ed, reuniting the Nickelodeon comedy duo more than 25 years after the first film’s release.
“I can’t believe it’s been just over 25 years since great customer service was born at Good Burger! To be a part of something so many generations of people have come to love has made me so proud and now to be back where it all started working on the sequel is surreal,” Thompson said in a statement shared with IndieWire. “I love playing with my brother Kel and can’t wait to show fans what these characters have been up to since we last saw them.”
“Ed is one of those timeless characters who has brought so much joy and laughter to fans, and it’s such a great blessing to continue to do so after all these years. It’s super awesome to come back and carry on. the stories of Dex, Ed and Good Burger for people who grew up watching and their children,” Mitchell said in a statement.
The characters in “Good Burger” are from “All That,” the 10-season comedy sketch show that aired on Nickelodeon from 1994 to 2005. Thompson and Mitchell were both cast members of the show’s first five seasons and quickly became its stars. The original sketches focused on Mitchell as Ed, a distraught teenage cashier at the Good Burger fast food restaurant. The 1997 film added Thompson as Dexter, a slacker forced to work at Good Burger who teams up with Ed to stop the place from closing.
According to the Paramount+ logline, “Good Burger 2” sees Dexter “unlucky after another of his inventions fails. Ed welcomes Dex with open arms to Good Burger and returns his old job. With a new team working at Good Burger, Dex devises a plan to get back on his feet but unfortunately puts Good Burger’s fate in jeopardy once again.
From the description, it looks like none of the supporting cast from the original film — which included Sinbad, Shar Jackson, Linda Cardellini, and cameos from Shaquille O’Neal and George Clinton — will be returning for the sequel. The late Abe Vigoda was also in the first “Good Burger”.
Two of the 1997 film’s original screenwriters, Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert (who also wrote for “All That”) return to write the script for “Good Burger 2”. They’ll potentially be joined by James III, who wrote the short-lived 2019 reboot of “All That” and is in talks to join “Good Burger 2.” The original film’s other credited writer is Dan Schneider, who Nickelodeon split from in 2018 after reports of alleged abusive behavior on its shows; needless to say he won’t be coming back.
Phil Traill, a sitcom vet known for “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “The Middle,” will direct the streaming film, which is slated to begin production in May and premiere later this year on Paramount+. The original theatrical film was directed by Brian Robbins, the creator of “All That” who is currently busy serving as president of Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures.
After “Good Burger” and “All That,” Thompson and Mitchell starred in their own four-season sitcom “Kenan & Kel” for Nickelodeon; Kopelow and Seifert also wrote about this series. Kenan and Kel also starred together in “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle” in 2000. The two largely split after 2000 when Thompson joined “Saturday Night Live,” where he is now the longest serving cast member.
They’ve had mini-reunions lately: When Thompson hosted last year’s Emmys on NBC, Mitchell made an appearance. And in December, Mitchell joined Thompson on “SNL” for a “Kenan & Kel” tribute skit.
Thompson is represented by UTA and managed by Michael Goldman. Mitchell is represented by UTA and managed by Alex Goodman at Levity Live.
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