Ben Stiller Talked Tropic Thunder Follow-Up, And I Think His Take On Tom Cruise’s Les Grossman Is The Perfect Way In

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I’m exhausted and really craving some Booty Juice, but it’s nowhere to be found in stores. That definitely feels like a sign that it’s time for a sequel to Tropic Thunder! We need to see Ben Stiller and the cast return as Tugg Speedman, Les Grossman (Tom Cruise was hilarious!), and Alpa Chino (Booty Juice was his thing!). But what are the chances of that actually happening?

Earlier this year, Christopher McQuarrie, the director behind the latest Mission: Impossible films, mentioned he and Tom Cruise have been jokingly discussing bringing back the character Les Grossman and are actively exploring how to make it happen. Ben Stiller recently told Esquire that working on a potential new Meet the Parents sequel is sparking ideas about revisiting other characters, like those from Tropic Thunder, even though they don’t have a concrete plan yet. As Stiller explained:

We’ve definitely considered revisiting the world of Tropic Thunder, though not necessarily as a direct sequel. Tom Cruise and I have discussed it. Having made several sequels already, like with the Meet the Fockers films, the key is to ensure there’s a good reason to do it and that any new story would do justice to the original characters. That’s always the biggest hurdle.

Look, I love the Meet the Parents movies, and honestly, if John Hamburg – who co-wrote them – can get Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo, and the rest of the gang back together for a fourth film, then surely someone can figure out how to bring back Les Grossman! That character was hilarious and terrifying all at once, and I’d kill to see him again.

Hold on – it turns out Ben Stiller already had a similar idea and is open to sharing it! I might be getting ahead of myself, but the way Stiller describes what Les Grossman is up to now feels like a fantastic starting point for a movie about making a movie. Here’s how he explained it:

I think Les Grossman is going to buy Netflix.

As a huge ‘Tropic Thunder’ fan, I’ve been thinking how amazing it would be to see Les Grossman as one of those billionaires we keep hearing about buying up media companies. I can totally picture Tugg Speedman or Robert Downey Jr.’s Kirk Lazarus working on a movie that gets caught in a studio merger, and then Les comes in and completely changes everything to fit his own ideas. Or even better, imagine a finished film suddenly being turned into a TV show, forcing a ton of complicated reshoots! It would be hilarious.

Focusing Tom Cruise’s character’s actions on a particular studio or streaming service could be a straightforward path to getting the project approved and funded. Ultimately, whether that ends up being Netflix is a decision made by people I won’t be involved with.

More On Tropic Thunder
  • Ben Stiller Apparently Didn’t Want Tom Cruise’s Dance In Tropic Thunder. How The A-Lister Pushed And Made It Happen (Gloriously) Anyway
  • Danny McBride Recalls Eavesdropping On Robert Downey Jr. During Tropic Thunder, And How RDJ Never Broke Character

Considering all of this, it’s worth remembering that Tropic Thunder was released by Paramount, and their current CEO, David Ellison, is locked in a difficult battle with Netflix to acquire Warner Bros. Therefore, the teams behind DreamWorks Pictures and Red Hour Productions might prefer to work with Netflix instead of Paramount. However, Tom Cruise has been incredibly important to Paramount’s recent success with films like Top Gun: Maverick and the Mission: Impossible series, so it’s possible Les Grossman would attempt to negotiate a deal directly with Ellison.

Ben Stiller explained why it would be difficult to make a movie like Tropic Thunder now, considering its use of blackface and some outdated language. However, the film was hilarious for many other reasons. If people are looking for awkward and uncomfortable comedy, they don’t need to rely on sensitive topics – simply adding comedian Tim Robinson to a project would achieve the same effect.

Look, I know a Tropic Thunder sequel might be a long way off – like, really long – but honestly, the most important thing is bringing back Booty Juice. Imagine that stuff hitting shelves again in 2026! That’s a dream I can get behind.

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2025-12-28 02:12