'The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee' Trailer: Paul Hogan Stages A Comeback

Remember two years ago, when reports of a surprise Crocodile Dundee sequel surfaced? And then it all turned out to be part of a Super Bowl ad? After all the hoopla and excitement for what turned out to be an elaborate Australian tourism ad, it seems that Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan clued in to the nostalgia for the Australian crocodile hunter, staging his comeback in the upcoming meta-comedy The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee. Watch The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee trailer below.

Paul Hogan stars in The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee, an Australian comedy film directed by Dean Murphy from a script written by Murphy and Robert Mond. Rather than a straightforward Crocodile Dundee sequel, Hogan stars as a semi-fictional version of himself in a meta-comedy, after he is brought out of retirement in the wake of a knighthood offer by the Queen of England. But when he is caught up in a series of increasingly ludicrous scandals — throwing a snake at a 5th grade teacher, knocking out a nun, choking a child — he has to stage a comeback to salvage his reputation.

It's a fairly star-studded film which includes Chevy Chase, John Cleese, Olivia Newton-John, and more, though sadly none of the famous faces who appeared in the Dundee tourism ad like Danny McBride and Chris Hemsworth.

The original Crocodile Dundee was released in 1986, and starred Hogan as a weathered crocodile hunter inspired by the real-life Rod Ansell, who he became famous in the 1970s after surviving an ordeal in which he was stranded in the Australian wild 120 miles from the nearest human settlement. Ansell survived for 56 days with limited supplies – he sustained himself by hunting wild cattle and buffalo, and drank cattle blood when he ran out of water. The much more ridiculous Crocodile Dundee became a major box office hit in Australia, eventually crossing the Pacific to become a worldwide phenomenon.

Originally scheduled to be released in Australian cinemas in April, The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee had its theatrical release canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is scheduled to make its VOD debut in December following an Amazon Prime Video in July.

Here is the synopsis for The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee:

Paul Hogan plays himself in this raucous comedy. Retired in L.A. and overshadowed by his Crocodile Dundee character, Hogan is offered a knighthood by the Queen of England. But before he can accept it, Hogan gets caught up in a series of comical scandals that dominate gossip shows and social media feeds. Can he keep his reputation clean long enough to hang onto his prize — and his dignity? Hilarious celebrity co-stars include Chevy Chase, John Cleese, Olivia Newton-John, and more!

The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee premieres On Demand on December 11, 2020.