 Married couple Jared and Jerusha Hess were co @-@ writers and directors of the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite , and had wanted to do an animated version since the film 's release . They thought animation was the best way to continue the world of Napoleon Dynamite as the original actors had grown too old to play teenage characters . Following the film 's success , Fox Searchlight Pictures wanted a sequel , but the Hesses delayed due to commitments to other projects and fear that audiences would tire of the Napoleon Dynamite characters . 
