Will We Ever Get A The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy 2?
Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" might not be a book you normally hear mentioned alongside the literary masterpieces of of Tolstoy, Dickens, and Poe — but perhaps it deserves a space on the same shelf.
The sci-fi satire started its life as a BBC radio comedy, and soon evolved into a series of novels of the same name, which went on to sell more than 15 million copies worldwide, as relayed by Nature. These books spawned a number of acclaimed adaptations, as well, and they also taught us that 42 is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything.
While each iteration of "Hitchhiker's Guide" has its die-hard fans (particularly the underrated 1981 BBC TV series), it's possible that the 2005 cinematic adaptation, directed by Garth Jennings, may just be the best of the bunch. Starring Martin Freeman ("The Hobbit") as Arthur Dent — one of just two human survivors of the Vogon destruction of Earth — alongside Zooey Deschanel as fellow survivor Trillian and Mos Def as galactic hitchhiker Ford Prefect, the film has become a cult classic. It may not have captured all of the zaniness of Adams' original stories, but "The Hitchhiker's Guide" movie arguably did the best job possible of capturing the spirit of the source material, with one of the film's most inspired elements being its adaptation of the severely depressed android, Marvin, voiced by Alan Rickman.
Fans of the film have been clamoring for a sequel for the better part of two decades now. So, can they expect to see a continuation of the series at some point? Based on what star Martin Freeman has said in the past, and more recent updates in the air, there's both good news and bad news.
No new Hitchhiker's Guide movie... but a new series?
Unfortunately for those hoping to see the film get a direct sequel, Freeman dashed hopes of such a thing happening not too long after its 2005 release. "There isn't [any possibility of a sequel] at this point," he said, via MTV News in 2007. "I found that out from the horse's mouth, [director] Garth Jennings. I had dinner with him and he said [the first one] just didn't do well enough."
Alas, Jennings' appraisal of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy's" box office performance is pretty spot-on. According to Box Office Mojo, the film made just under $105 million against a reported $50 production million budget, which — when one considers the marketing cost — is likely not much better than breaking even.
For Freeman, though, the movie's lukewarm reception was something of a blessing. "It's kind of cool with me because I just got out of being Tim from 'The Office,'" he said. "To go straight from that to being Arthur Dent for the next 12 years of my life wouldn't have been too cool." He went on to star in "The Hobbit" trilogy, of course, as well as the British crime series "Sherlock," and had a supporting role in "Black Panther."
That said, even though no film sequel appears to be in the works, "The Hitchhiker's Guide" is still running strong.
In 2019, Deadline reported that Hulu was developing a new television adaptation from Carlton Cuse and Jason Fuchs. So, until that series finally makes it to our screens ... "So long, and thanks for all the fish."