Is Encino Man 2 Happening Or Is The Brendan Fraser Movie Frozen Forever?

As far as '90s comedies go, "Encino Man" is up there as one of the seemingly forgotten flicks that die-hard fans are thirsting with nostalgia over. It might not be one of the 15 best '90s comedies ever made (depending on who you ask), but the film helped establish Pauly Shore as a genuine movie star and it certainly doesn't hurt that both Sean Astin ("The Lord of the Rings") and Brendan Fraser ("The Mummy") have gone on to become cherished actors in their own right. It's an of-its-time comedy that remains loved to this day. But could a sequel be on the horizon?

For those who may need a refresher, director Les Mayfield's 1992 film centers on Dave (Astin) who uncovers a caveman frozen in a block of ice while digging a hole for a swimming pool. With the help of his friend Stoney (Shore), Dave moves the caveman (Fraser) to their garage where he thaws out and comes back to life. The duo then attempts to pass him off as a foreign exchange student named Link as he learns the ways of life in the '90s.

So, could the stars unite for a sequel more than 30 years later? Would Disney commit financial resources to something like this? We're going to go over the odds of that happening, what the cast has said about it, and whether or not there is a story to tell here, assuming all of the pieces fall into place. Let's get into it.

Disney's Buena Vista Pictures was behind "Encino Man," which was produced for a modest $7 million in its day. The film made a very respectable $40 million at the box office and was a regular in rotation on cable. This was also at a time when home video was a big deal. All of this to say, Disney undoubtedly made a good deal of money on the film. So, why didn't they ever make a direct sequel?

For one, the film was not met with kindness from critics in its day, so much so that it took Brendan Fraser years to accept that there were people who loved the movie. Granted, money talks in Hollywood, but critical reception can still be a factor when it comes to getting a sequel made. To that end, Disney went the "safe" route and produced a made-for-TV movie called "Encino Woman," which aired in 1996. You'd be forgiven if you haven't heard of it as it has largely been forgotten. The film was not well-liked and failed to garner a following like the original film did. That's why a direct sequel is the key here, as a follow-up did technically materialize, just not in the way fans of the original might have wanted.

It's entirely possible that the poor reception to the TV follow-up killed any chance of an actual sequel getting made in its day. Not only that, but Fraser was then starring in big films like "George of the Jungle" to beef out his increasingly impressive resume, while Astin got cast in "Lord of the Rings," which took years of his life. The cast got busy, and the window closed. But everything old does eventually become new again.

Released in 1996 as a television movie on ABC, "Encino Woman" is now next to impossible to find through legal channels. Rather than focus on the woman unearthed in the ice at the end of "Encino Man," Shawn Schepps' movie focuses on a different cavewoman who is thawed out in the mid-'90s and inadvertently becomes both a successful model and a leading spokesperson for feminist issues like women's rights, gender revolution, and being anti-diet culture. It's like a strange combination of "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead" by way of "Poor Things," but it was produced with a made-for-TV budget and filled with radical '90s flamboyance, including drag queen cameos from The Fabulous Wonder Twins and the legendary Jackie Beat. The film only aired once on television and was never given a physical media release, but some pirate preservationists have uploaded a TV recording online, preventing it from becoming lost media. 

Instead of focusing on high schoolers, "Encino Woman" centers on young adults in the professional field and more mature issues than whether or not the girl you like is going to go with you to the prom. It's a shame the film has been mostly lost to time considering the ahead-of-its-time messaging and stellar supporting cast like "Dinner and a Movie" host Annabelle Gurwitch, the Crypt Keeper himself John Kassir, "Clueless" star Elisa Donovan, beloved character actor Jay Thomas," and comedian Bobcat Goldthwait. It's doubtful that the House of Mouse will ever let this movie out of the vault, but it's a gem of a campy good time.

Enough time has passed and nostalgia has caught up with the original "Encino Man." The window of opportunity could arguably be there now for a legacy sequel in the streaming age and, for what it's worth, several of the film's stars have weighed in on that being a possibility. When asked about the possibility of a sequel in 2023 Fraser said, "Why not? I mean everything's getting remade." Not exactly a glowing endorsement but the actor also said it "warms my heart" in speaking about the love people have for the film today.

Shore has been a bit more active in trying to get something going. Back in 2014, the actor said, "Encino Man 2, let's do it," before adding, "My agent and I are talking about it." Nothing ever came of those conversations with his agent, but it didn't end there. More recently, Shore spoke with Screen Rant in 2022 and revealed that the brass at Disney are aware that he would like to get the project going. As he said:

"You know, it's really up to the fans because Disney+ knows about it and the producer, George [Zaloom], I know is wanting to do it. I know Brendan and Sean would probably do it if the script was right. There's a love for that movie to this day ... Several years later, people realize, 'Wait a minute. This was actually a really fun, funny film. It's really held up for me.' Those movies, people can make fun of them and the industry or whatever, but they've been putting food on my table for years and making people happy. There is a huge audience out there that really enjoys those."

Shortly after Brendan Fraser won the Oscar for Best Actor in 2023, Shore was interviewed by Variety about the possibility of a sequel, to which Shore said, "That movie is a movie I would love to do, but it's up to Disney." As Disney owns the IP, it's up to the House of Mouse to make the call. 

Nobody has discussed a potential story for "Encino Man 2," including Shore who was also asked about where he thinks the characters could be after all these years. He didn't have any idea, and the Variety interview ended there. That said, the film concludes with Link reuniting with his girlfriend after she also thaws out. It's a happy enough ending. 

With all of the core stars being much older, it would probably be best to do some sort of legacy sequel where they could pass the baton to a series of younger stars. Maybe they all find younger frozen Neanderthals and have to teach them the ways of the 2020s? All the while, we could catch up with Dave, Stoney, and Link more than 30 years later, sort of like "Bill & Ted Face the Music."

The other option — and one that is probably less appealing to fans of the original — would be a straight-up reboot. It wouldn't be too difficult to imagine Disney modernizing the concept and doing it with a new, young cast for Disney+, either as a movie or even a miniseries. That would almost certainly be cheaper, but it also might run the risk of not having much of an audience. Should it ever happen, it's almost certainly best suited as a nostalgia play.

As of right now, Disney isn't actively developing any version of "Encino Man 2," so no cast is involved. Having said that, it would make the most sense to bring back Pauly Shore, Sean Astin, and Brendan Fraser as the core trio. The other actors that would make a great deal of sense are Robin Tunney as Ella, Megan Ward as Robyn Sweeney, and Ke Huy Quan, who also had a memorable role in the original as Kim, the head of the computer club. 

If all four actors were to sign on, it would make it easier to imagine the film actually getting made. Both Quan and Fraser won Oscars in 2023 for their roles in "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "The Whale," respectively. With those two alone, Disney would be able to get relatively recent Oscar-winning actors who are very much loved by the moviegoing public to reunite all these years later. That certainly would carry some appeal, but the ball is ultimately in the studio's court.

"Encino Man" is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video.