The Weather Channel is getting action-packed to advertise its Groundhog Day coverage. The cinematic legacy of the holiday known as Groundhog Day is wrapped up almost entirely in one film: the 1993 Bill Murray classic called, yes, Groundhog Day. The film was directed by Harold Ramis and starred Murray as a local TV weatherman Phil Connors, doomed to relive Groundhog Day over and over again in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Groundhog Day was a sizable hit at the time, but has only grown in esteem in the years since, to everyone from critics to Bill Murray acolytes to dorm-room philosophers.
In the years since, of course, no one has attempted another film centered around Groundhog Dog, despite always-false rumors of an impending sequel. But with the actual Groundhog Day approaching this Friday, another arm of the weather industry is giving us a look at what a Groundhog Day action movie might look like.
We Love Weather, a Twitter account associated with the Weather Channel, has released a mock action movie trailer for the Weather Channel’s Groundhog Day coverage on its morning show, AMHQ. The “trailer,” a minute-long clip for a fictitious movie called “Groundhog Day: Prognostication”, features explosions, dramatic music and other action cinema stand-bys. Check it out, below.
The video is humerous, and the Weather Channel deserves credit for finding something cinematic to do with Groundhog Day that doesn’t have anything to do with the 1993 movie. When it comes to Punxutawney Phil, “action hero” isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind - Phil is neither particularly decisive, nor does he move very fast - but that’s of course part of the humor.
Then again, with Groundhog Day celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, there are going to plenty of chances to commemorate the film throughout 2018. There's already a Groundhog Day Broadway musical, which debuted last year.
Groundhog Day is this Friday. AMHQ’s coverage starts at 4 a.m. on the Weather Channel.