page:  = Horrible Bosses = 
   
   Horrible Bosses is a 2011 American black comedy film directed by Seth Gordon , written by Michael Markowitz , John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein , based on a story by Markowitz . It stars Jason Bateman , Charlie Day , Jason Sudeikis , Jennifer Aniston , Colin Farrell , Kevin Spacey , and Jamie Foxx . The plot follows three friends , played by Bateman , Day , and Sudeikis , who decide to murder their respective overbearing , abusive bosses , portrayed by Spacey , Aniston and Farrell . 
   Markowitz 's script was bought by New Line Cinema in 2005 and the film spent six years in various states of pre @-@ production , with a variety of actors attached to different roles . By 2010 , Goldstein and Daley had rewritten the script , and the film finally went into production . 
   The film premiered in Los Angeles on June 30 , 2011 , and received a wide release on July 8 , 2011 . The film exceeded financial expectations , accruing over $ 28 million in the first three days , making it the number two film in the United States during its opening weekend , and going on to become the highest @-@ grossing black comedy film of all time in unadjusted dollars , breaking the record previously set by The War of the Roses in 1990 . The film grossed over $ 209 million worldwide during its theatrical run . 
   The film opened to positive critical reception , with several critics praising the ensemble cast , with each lead being singled out for their performances across reviews . The plot received a more mixed response ; some reviewers felt that its dark , humorous premise was explored well , while others felt the jokes were racist , homophobic , and misogynistic . A sequel , Horrible Bosses 2 , was released on November 26 , 2014 . 
   
   = = Plot = = 
   
   Nick Hendricks ( Bateman ) and Dale Arbus ( Day ) are friends who despise their bosses . Nick works at a financial firm for the sadistic David Harken ( Spacey ) , who implies the possibility of a promotion for Nick for months , only to award it to himself . Dale is a dental assistant being sexually harassed by his boss , Dr. Julia Harris ( Aniston ) ; she threatens to tell his fiancee Stacy ( Lindsay Sloane ) that he had sex with her unless he actually has sex with her . Nick and Dale 's accountant friend Kurt Buckman ( Sudeikis ) enjoys working for Jack Pellitt ( Donald Sutherland ) at a chemical company , but after Jack unexpectedly dies of a heart attack , the company is taken over by Jack 's cocaine @-@ addicted son Bobby ( Farrell ) , whose apathy and incompetence threaten the future of the company . 
   At night , over drinks , Kurt jokingly suggests that their lives would be happier if their bosses were no longer around . Initially hesitant , they eventually agree to kill their employers . In search of a hitman , the trio meet Dean " Motherfuckah " Jones ( Foxx ) , an ex @-@ con who agrees to be their " murder consultant " . Jones suggests that Dale , Kurt and Nick kill each other 's bosses to hide their motive while making the deaths look like accidents . 
   The three reconnoiter Bobby 's house , and Kurt steals Bobby 's phone . They next go to Harken 's house , where Kurt and Nick go inside while Dale waits in the car . Harken returns home and confronts Dale for littering , but then has an allergy attack from the peanut butter on the litter . Dale saves Harken by stabbing him with an EpiPen . Nick and Kurt think Dale is stabbing Harken to death and flee , with Kurt accidentally dropping Bobby 's phone in Harken 's bedroom . The next night , Kurt watches Julia 's home , but she seduces and has sex with him . Nick and Dale reluctantly wait outside Bobby 's and Harken 's houses , respectively , to commit the murders , despite neither of them wanting to . Harken discovers Bobby 's cellphone in his bedroom and uses it to find his address , suspecting his wife Rhonda ( Julie Bowen ) is having an affair . He drives over and kills Bobby , with Nick as a secret witness . 
   Nick flees at high speed , setting off a traffic camera . The trio meet to discuss their reservations about continuing with their plan . They are arrested by the police , who believe the camera footage makes them suspects in Bobby 's murder . Lacking evidence , the police are forced to let the trio go free . The trio consult with Jones again , but learn that he never actually killed anyone , having been imprisoned for bootlegging the film Snow Falling on Cedars . Jones suggests that they get Harken to confess and secretly tape it . The three accidentally crash Harken 's surprise birthday party , where Nick and Dale get Harken to confess to the murder before realizing that Kurt , who has the audio recorder , is elsewhere having sex with Rhonda . Harken threatens to kill all three for attempting to blackmail him . They flee by car , but Harken gives chase and repeatedly rams their vehicle . Believing they have committed a crime , the car 's navigation @-@ system operator remotely disables Kurt 's car , allowing Harken to catch and hold them at gunpoint . Harken shoots himself in the leg as he boasts about his plan to frame them for murdering Bobby and attempting to kill him to get rid of the witness . 
   The police arrest Nick , Dale and Kurt , but the navigation @-@ system operator , Gregory , reveals that it is his companies policy to record all conversations for quality assurance . Gregory plays the tape that has Harken confessing he murdered Pellitt . Harken is sentenced to 25 years to life in prison , while the friends get their charges waived . Nick is promoted to president of the company under a sadistic CEO , Kurt retains his job under a new boss , and Dale blackmails Julia into ending her harassment by convincing her to sexually harass a supposedly unconscious patient , while Jones secretly records the act . 
   
   = = Cast = = 
   
   Jason Bateman as Nick Hendricks 
   An executive at a financial firm who is manipulated into jumping through hoops in order to get a promotion that his boss never intended to give him . Markowitz wrote the role specifically for Bateman . 
   Charlie Day as Dale Arbus 
   A dental assistant who is sexually harassed by his boss . Described as a " hopeless romantic " in love with his fiancée . Ashton Kutcher was in talks for the role at two different points in the lengthy production . Day was considered for the role following his co @-@ starring performance with Sudeikis in the 2010 film Going the Distance — Reuters reported that industry insiders believed his performance overshadowed the main stars . 
   Jason Sudeikis as Kurt Buckman 
   An account manager at a chemical company dealing with a new , drug @-@ addicted boss after his beloved former boss dies . Sudeikis was cast in May 2010 . 
   Jennifer Aniston as Dr. Julia Harris , D.D.S. 
   Markowitz based the character on a former boss , claiming she was " very sexually aggressive with everybody " . When writing the script , Markowitz intended for the role to go to Aniston . He stated , " but [ the aforementioned boss ] looked more like Cruella de Vil . It was like flirting with a cobweb . So I decided for the sake of the movie , let ’ s go with Jennifer Aniston . ” The actress insisted on wearing a brown wig for the role , wanting to look different from other characters she had played . 
   Colin Farrell as Bobby Pellitt 
   Described as a " weaselly scion " and a " corrupt and incompetent jerk who 's in charge of things but clearly has no idea what he 's doing . " Farrell explained the motivation he gave to the character , stating " This guy thinks he 's God 's gift to women , God 's gift to intellect , to humor , to the club scene , to everything . It 's all part of his grandiose sense of self @-@ esteem , which is probably masking a deeper sense of being a disappointment to his father and being riddled with envy over the relationship his father had with Kurt , and all kinds of other things . With Pellit , Seth gave me complete license to act as pathologically screwed up as possible . " Farrell contributed significantly to the appearance of his character , suggesting the comb over hairstyle , pot @-@ belly and an affinity for Chinese dragons . 
   Kevin Spacey as David Harken 
   President of Comnidyne Industries . Tom Cruise , Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jeff Bridges had been approached by New Line Cinema to take the role , described as a psychopathic master manipulator with an attractive wife . Spacey signed up for the role in June 2010 . The part was considered " integral " to the film . Gordon commented that the character was an amalgamation of several real bosses ( rather than one single person ) to avoid being sued . 
   Jamie Foxx as Dean " Motherfuckah " Jones 
   The character had the more " colorful " name " Cocksucker Jones " , but it was changed at Foxx 's request , with producer Jay Stern commenting that Foxx felt it " was over the line " . The current name was said to be subject to further change , prior to the release of the film . Foxx contributed to his character 's appearance , suggesting full @-@ scalp tattoos and a retro clothing style . Foxx described the appearance as " a guy who maybe went to jail for a minute and now he 's living in his own time capsule . When he got out he went right back to the clothes he thought were hot when he went in . " 
   During the six @-@ year development of the film , several actors were in negotiations to star , including Owen Wilson , Vince Vaughn , Matthew McConaughey , Ryan Reynolds , Dax Shepard , and Johnny Knoxville . 
   Donald Sutherland portrays Jack Pellitt , Bobby 's father and Kurt 's boss . On July 27 , 2010 , Isaiah Mustafa was confirmed as joining the cast . Mustafa was quoted as saying " It 's a smaller role " . He appears as Officer Wilkens . Julie Bowen appears in the film as Rhonda , Harken 's wife . Bowen stated that her character " may or may not be a hussy " , the character described as intentionally making her husband jealous . Ioan Gruffudd has a cameo as a male prostitute erroneously hired as a hitman . Lindsay Sloane appears as Dale 's fiancee Stacy . P. J. Byrne plays Kenny Sommerfeld , a former investment manager , now scrounging for drinks , while Wendell Pierce and Ron White play a pair of cops . Bob Newhart makes a cameo as sadistic Comnidyne CEO Louis Sherman . John Francis Daley , a screenwriter on the film , cameos as Nick 's co @-@ worker Carter . 
   
   = = Production = = 
   
   
   = = = Development = = = 
   
   Markowitz 's script for Horrible Bosses was sold at auction to New Line Cinema by Ratner 's production company Rat Entertainment in 2005 for a six @-@ figure amount . Ratner initially was interested in directing , but became occupied with directing the comedy Tower Heist . Frank Oz and David Dobkin were in talks to direct . Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley rewrote the script in 2010 , and the project went into production with Seth Gordon directing . 
   
   = = = Design = = = 
   
   Production designer Shepherd Frankel specifically set out to create distinctly different environments for the three employees and their respective bosses ' homes and offices . Nick and Harken 's workplace is the " Comnidyne " bullpen , which was designed to " enhance the discomfort and anxiety of lower @-@ level employees clustered in the center of the room where every movement is monitored by the boss from his corner office . " The design team met with financial strategists and management companies to learn about the architecture of their office layouts to visually represent the experience of starting from a low @-@ ranking position in a cubicle and aspiring to an office . Costume designer Carol Ramsey worked with Frankel and set decorator Jan Pascale to match Harken 's suit to that of the surrounding " cold grey and blue " color palette of his office . Harken 's home was described as " equally lacking in warmth " as the office but more lavishly decorated and " for show " , including an intentionally oversized portrait of him with his " trophy wife " . 
   Designing Julia 's office was described as a " challenge " , infusing a " sensual vibe " into a dental office . Frankel approached the design through Julia 's mentality , stating , " She 's a Type A professional at the top of her game , who likes to play cat @-@ and @-@ mouse , so it 's a completely controlled environment , with apertures and views into other rooms so she always knows what 's going on " . " It 's highly designed , with rich wallpaper and tones , sumptuous artwork and subtle lighting — all very disarming till you step into her private office . The blinds close , the door locks and you think , ' It 's the Temple of Doom . ' " Similarly approaching the character 's home , the design allowed for wide windows which face onto a public street " which afford her the opportunity to put on the kind of show she couldn 't get away with at work . " 
   Bobby 's environments were designed with more contrast , the character being new to the work area . Frankel described the contrast as " the company reflects [ Jack Pellitt 's ] human touch , whereas [ Bobby Pellitt 's ] home is a shameless shrine to himself and his hedonistic appetites . " Frankel continued , " It features a mishmash of anything he finds exotic and erotic , mostly Egyptian and Asian motifs with an ' 80s Studio 54 vibe , a makeshift dojo , lots of mirrors and a massage table . " Some parts of the house design were provided by Farrell and Gordon 's interpretation of the character and his " infatuation " with martial arts and " his delusions of prowess " . 
   
   = = = Filming = = = 
   
   Filming of Horrible Bosses took place in and around Los Angeles . The production team attempted to find locations " that people haven 't already seen a hundred times in movies and on TV " , aiming for the film to appear as if it could be taking place anywhere in America " where people are trying to pursue the American dream but getting stopped by a horrible boss . " " Comnidyine " was represented by an office building in Torrance , California , with the crew building the set on a vacant floor . For " Pellitt Chemical " , the production team found a " perfect landscape of pipes and containers " in Santa Fe Springs , surrounding an unoccupied water cleaning and storage facility . To take advantage of the surrounding imagery , the warehouse required an extensive series of overhauls , including cutting windows into concrete walls and creating new doorways to allow for visuals of the warehouse exterior and provide a setting for the final scene of Sutherland 's character . A T.G.I. Friday 's in Woodland Hills , Los Angeles , was used as a bar frequented by Nick , Dale , and Kurt , while the bar scene where they meet with Jones was staged in downtown Los Angeles . 
   The film was shot digitally using the Panavision Genesis camera . Gordon encouraged the actors to improvise , though Aniston claimed to not have taken advantage of the offer as much as her co @-@ stars , stating , " My dialogue was just so beautifully choreographed that there wasn ’ t much that I needed to do ” . 
   
   = = = Music = = = 
   
   The soundtrack was composed by award @-@ winning composer Christopher Lennertz , with music contributed by Mike McCready of Pearl Jam , Stefan Lessard of Dave Matthews Band and Money Mark — a collaborator with the Beastie Boys . McCready , Lessard , and Mark worked with musicians Matt Chamberlain , David Levita , Aaron Kaplan , Victor Indrizzo , Chris Chaney , Davey Chegwidden and DJ Cheapshot to develop the music . Major contributions were provided by Mark on keyboard , McCready and Levita on guitar , Chaney and Lessard on bass , Indrizzo on drums and DJ Cheapshot on turntables . 
   Lennertz recorded the soundtrack at The Village recording studio in West Los Angeles and Capitol Records . Lennertz attempted to remain " authentic " to the characters ' progression from average worker to calculated killer . To achieve this aim , he decided against recording digitally , instead recording the tracks on two @-@ inch analog tape , intending each musical cue to sound as if it was emanating from a vinyl record . He explained , " The idea was to put together a band that would record the score together the same way that they would make an album . It isn 't over @-@ produced or shiny and digital in any way . It 's brash , noisy , and full of bravado and swagger . I knew that if we could harness some of this sonic magic in the score , then the toughness and confidence of the music would play against Bateman , Sudeikis , and Charlie Day to really emphasize and elevate the humor in the situations that transpire . " Lennertz continued , " We tracked through tape before Pro Tools to get that fat sound , and made every choice based on feel rather than perfection . We even used the same Wurlitzer that Money Mark played on Beck 's classic ‘ Where It 's At ’ . At the end of the day , Seth [ Gordon ] and I wanted to produce a score that is as irreverent and full of attitude as the movie itself . I think we did it ... and most of all , everyone had a blast in the process . " 
   Horrible Bosses : The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released in physical and digital formats on July 5 , 2011 , by WaterTower Music . The soundtrack consists of 33 tracks with a runtime of 63 minutes . 
   
   = = Release = = 
   
   The world premiere of Horrible Bosses took place on June 30 , 2011 at Grauman 's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood , California . 
   
   = = = Box office = = = 
   
   Horrible Bosses grossed $ 117 @.@ 5 million ( 56 @.@ 1 % ) in the North America and $ 92 @.@ 2 million ( 43 @.@ 9 % ) in other territories for a worldwide gross of $ 209 @.@ 6 million , against its budget of $ 35 million . 
   North America 
   Horrible Bosses was released on July 8 , 2011 in the United States and Canada across 3 @,@ 040 theaters . It grossed $ 9.9M on the first day , giving it the second largest opening gross for an original R @-@ rated comedy of the summer , behind Bad Teacher ( $ 12.2M ) . For the opening weekend , the film took in a total of $ 28 @,@ 302 @,@ 165 , an average of $ 9 @,@ 310 per theater , making it the number two film for the weekend , behind Transformers : Dark of the Moon ( $ 47.1M ) , the second highest @-@ grossing opening weekend for an original R @-@ rated comedy , again behind Bad Teacher ( $ 31.6M ) , and the highest @-@ grossing opening weekend ever for a dark / black comedy film , overtaking the 2004 The Stepford Wives ( $ 21.4M ) . The opening weekend audience was 51 % male , and 64 % of the audience were over 25 years of age . The second weekend ( 15 – 17 July ) saw a further 94 theaters added , for a total of 3 @,@ 134 . Box office revenue dropped by a " respectable " 38 % , taking $ 17.6M for a total gross of $ 60M in ten days . The film ranked third for the weekend . It remained in the top five films during its third week , dropping 33 % and leaving thirty theaters from the previous weekend , to take in $ 11.9M for a gross of $ 82.6M in 17 days . On July 28 , 2011 , with $ 87.6M after 20 days , Horrible Bosses surpassed The War of the Roses ( $ 86.8M ) to become the highest grossing dark / black comedy film in unadjusted dollars . 
   Other territories 
   Horrible Bosses was released on July 7 , 2011 , in the United Arab Emirates ( $ 258 @,@ 108 ) , and on July 8 in Estonia ( $ 24 @,@ 471 ) , Latvia ( $ 15 @,@ 750 ) , Lebanon ( $ 36 @,@ 316 ) and Lithuania ( $ 13 @,@ 676 ) , grossing $ 348 @,@ 321 for the opening weekend and accruing a total of $ 855 @,@ 009 in the first 17 days . On the weekend of July 21 – 24 , the film opened in the United Kingdom ( $ 3 @,@ 386 @,@ 876 ) , Greece ( $ 367 @,@ 845 ) , Israel ( $ 200 @,@ 372 ) , South Africa ( $ 193 @,@ 632 ) , Norway ( $ 109 @,@ 252 ) and East Africa ( $ 7 @,@ 324 ) . 
   
   = = = Critical reception = = = 
   
   Horrible Bosses received generally positive reviews from critics . On Rotten Tomatoes , the film holds a rating of 68 % , based on 208 reviews , with an average rating of 6 @.@ 2 / 10 . The site 's critical consensus reads , " It 's nasty , uneven , and far from original , but thanks to a smartly assembled cast that makes the most of a solid premise , Horrible Bosses works . " Review aggregate Metacritic gave the film a score of 57 out of 100 , based on 40 critics , indicating " mixed or average reviews " . 
   Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half stars out of four , calling it " well @-@ cast " and commending it for playing to each actor 's strengths . Ebert gave particular praise to Spacey , labeling him " superb " , and Aniston , judging her performance to be a " surprise " and a return to form , stating " she has acute comic timing and hilariously enacts alarming sexual hungers " . Ebert called Horrible Bosses " cheerful and wicked " . Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly reacted positively , calling the film " a bouncy , well @-@ built , delightfully nasty tale of resentment , desperation , and amoral revenge " and complimented the casting of the protagonists and antagonists . The A.V. Club 's Nathan Rabin also praised the cast , stating that the picture " succeeds almost entirely on the chemistry of its three leads , who remain likeable even while resorting to homicide " , adding the " acting more than compensates for the film 's other failings . " Rabin singled out Day 's performance as " a potent illustration of how a brilliant character actor with a spark of madness can elevate a ramshackle lowbrow farce into a solid mainstream comedy through sheer force of charisma . " Edward Douglas of ComingSoon.net credited director Seth Gordon with having assembled " the perfect cast " , claiming " the six leads kill in every scene " , but echoed Nathan Rabin 's sentiments that Day is the " real standout " . Douglas summarized the picture as " dark fun that works better than expected due to a well @-@ developed script , an impeccable cast and a director who knows how to put the two together " . A. O. Scott of The New York Times stated " the timing of the cast ... is impeccable " and appreciated that the script did not attempt " to cut its coarseness with a hypocritical dose of sweetness or respectability " . The review concluded that " in the ways that count and even when it shouldn ’ t , Horrible Bosses works . " 
   USA Today 's Scott Bowles awarded the film three out of four stars , labeling it a " surprising comedy that rivals Bridesmaids as the funniest film of the summer , if not the year . " Bowles added that " the characters are so likable " , giving particular credit to Sudeikis though also adding praise for the performances of Bateman and Day . The dialogue was also lauded by Bowles , which commented that " Seth Gordon has a deft touch with water @-@ cooler talk — even when the water cooler might be spiked with poison . " Leonard Maltin of indieWire considered Day to have had the " breakout role " and offered praise to the performances of the cast , but lamented the lack of screen time for Farrell 's character . Maltin concluded " the movie has just enough raunchiness to identify it as a 2011 comedy , just enough cleverness to admire , and just the right camaraderie among its three male stars , which turns out to be the movie ’ s greatest strength . " Rolling Stone 's Peter Travers gave kudos to the " killer cast " , with specific credit given to Bateman and Day , but was critical of the movie , stating " it wussies out on a sharp premise " and that it is a " hit @-@ and @-@ miss farce that leaves you wishing it was funnier than it is " The Guardian 's Philip French called Horrible Bosses " a lumbering , misogynistic affair " , but admitted " I laughed frequently , probably to the detriment of my self @-@ respect . " Nicholas Barber of The Independent gave a positive review , complimenting Gordon for not allowing the actors ' improvisation to be detrimental to the pacing , but felt the movie was not as " dark " as its premise required , saying " what edginess the film does have comes instead from the inordinate quantity of swearing , plus a smattering of homophobia and misogyny . " 
   Salon 's Andrew O 'Hehir offered a mixed response , characterizing the film as a " lot funnier in theory than in practice , but it won 't ruin your Saturday night " . Salon appreciated the " effortless comic chemistry " between Sudeikis , Bateman and Day and singled out Bateman , Aniston and Spacey for their performances . O 'Hehir was however critical of the perceived homophobia , sexism and racism . The Hollywood Reporter 's Kirk Honeycutt responded negatively , stating the jokes failed to be funny , stating " Seth Gordon shows no flair for turning the absurdities and cartoonish characters in the script ... into anything more than a collection of moments in search of laughs . " Karina Longworth of The Village Voice was critical of the premise , which she felt lacked any legitimate " rage " against the characters ' bosses , stating " ... there 's every sign that , even without these particular emasculators , Dale , Kurt and Nick would still be — for lack of a better word — total pussies . " Longworth felt that the humor was " rarely actually laugh @-@ out @-@ loud funny , and never truly dark or daring " . She particularly criticized the all @-@ white , male protagonists and a plot she deemed racist and filled with " stereotypes " . Justin Chang of Variety praised the performance of the ensemble cast , but considered the plot to be " predictably moronic , vulgar and juvenile " . Chang echoed the sentiments of The Village Voice in lamenting that the film failed to pursue the premise to " darker , more daring territory " and faulted it for falling back on " over @-@ the @-@ top comic exaggeration " . 
   
   = = = Accolades = = = 
   
   The film received several award nominations , including a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor for Colin Farrell , and three nominations from the 2012 Comedy Awards , including Comedy Actor for Bateman , Comedy Actress for Aniston , and best Comedy Film . Farrell and Aniston were both nominated for Best On @-@ Screen Dirt Bag at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards , with Aniston claiming the award . Farrell also received a nomination for Best On @-@ Screen Transformation . 
   
   = = = Home media = = = 
   
   On July 26 , 2011 , FX obtained the rights to the network premiere of the film . 
   Horrible Bosses was released on DVD and Blu @-@ ray Disc in the United States on October 11 , 2011 . The DVD version sold an estimated 400 @,@ 682 units in the United States during its first week , earning approximately $ 6 @.@ 1 million . It was the number 2 best selling DVD of the week , finishing behind Green Lantern , and the number 3 Blu @-@ ray disc film behind Green Lantern and The Lion King . As of November 2012 , it has sold an estimated 1 @.@ 3 million units and earned $ 18 @.@ 3 million . 
   The DVD contains the theatrical cut of the film and deleted scenes . The Blu @-@ ray Disc edition contains the Blu @-@ ray Disc , the DVD and a digital version of the film in a single pack . The Blu @-@ ray Disc version is an unrated , extended cut ( the " Totally Inappropriate Edition " ) with a runtime of 106 minutes compared to the theatrical 98 minutes . The Blu @-@ ray Disc contains deleted scenes and four featurettes : My Least Favorite Career , Surviving a Horrible Boss , Being Mean Is So Much Fun , and The Making of the Horrible Bosses Soundtrack . Both the theatrical and extended cuts are presented in the film 's original aspect ratio of 2 @.@ 39 : 1 with DTS @-@ HD Master Audio sound . Beginning with the Blu @-@ ray Disc release of Horrible Bosses and Green Lantern , Warner Bros. included a code that allows the owner to access a version of the film via UltraViolet , a cloud storage service which allows streaming or downloading to a variety of devices . 
   
   = = Sequel = = 
   
   Seth Gordon confirmed in July 2011 that talks were underway for a sequel , after the financial success of the film in the United States , saying : " Yeah , we 've definitely discussed it . It 's done well in the States , the film has , so that 's becoming a more concerted effort now , we 're trying to figure out what the sequel could be . " On January 4 , 2012 , it was confirmed that a sequel was moving forward , and that Goldstein and Daley would be returning to write the script . New Line was reported to be negotiating with Gordon to return as director , with Bateman , Day , and Sudeikis also expected to return to their roles . On February 27 , 2012 , it was confirmed that Goldstein and Daley were in the process of writing the new script . In March 2013 , Goldstein and Daley confirmed that they had submitted multiple draft scripts for the sequel , and that production had moved towards finalizing the budget . Later in the same month Bateman , Day , and Sudeikis were confirmed to be reprising their roles , with Foxx negotiating to return . The film will again be produced by Brett Ratner and Jay Stern . In August 2013 , it was announced that Gordon would not be returning to direct because of scheduling conflicts and that the studio was actively searching for a replacement . In September 2013 , Sean Anders was announced as Gordon 's replacement , with John Morris joining the production as a producer . The pair had previously performed a rewrite on Goldstein 's and Daley 's sequel script . Filming had been scheduled to begin in summer 2013 , but began in November 2013 . Foxx , Jennifer Aniston , and Kevin Spacey reprised their roles , with Christoph Waltz and Chris Pine joining the cast . 
   
   