During a sequence in Murder Mystery 2, Jennifer Aniston is decked up in a stunning lehenga while Adam Sandler, rocking a sherwani, attempts to follow a sangeet dance choreography. The two are on an island attending a big fat Indian wedding where things go south after an abduction. It’s a fun moment in representation featuring two of the best comedy stars. The rest of the film is just as grand with its set pieces as the characters take on new locales for their latest case.
Directed by Jeremy Garelick, Murder Mystery 2 is a sequel that sees Aniston and Sandler reunite as the Spitzes who are back for some good old-fashioned sleuthing. In an exclusive interview with Filmfare, the stars opened up about going desi, why they keep coming back to the comedy genre and which of their iconic roles they’d revisit.
“It was quite the visual experience. It was unbelievable. It was so beautiful. We had 5 long days on that set. But we did not know what we were doing (laughs),” said Jennifer as she delved into what went down behind the scenes while filming for the wedding scenes. Talking about keeping up with the dancers, Adam added, “We had 5 days on that set to shoot that. We danced and had good food together. We all did the best we could. Jennifer and I were trying to dance. Just joining in the fun, that’s what it was all about.”
Murder Mystery 2 is one of Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler’s many on-screen collaborations. When asked about their biggest takeaway from working with each other over the years, Jennifer said, “He taught me how to have a really good time on set. He’s been doing this for so long, he’s the architect of his own life in the most beautiful way. He brings in people he loves and he’s loyal to all his crew members. His consistency and familiarity is so incredible and there’s a safety that comes with that.”
Adam revealed that he has learnt a lot including keeping up with major news, “She takes care of herself very well. She teaches me a lot – about health, she knows what’s going on in the world a little more. Some days she comes in upset and I ask her what happened and she goes, “Oh, you don’t know?” and pulls out a whole article about it. We just love working with each other on and off the set.”
While Jennifer Aniston’s iconic Friends stint has earned her a separate fandom in the comedy genre, Adam Sandler films are one of the hallmarks of Hollywood comedies. When asked about how important it is to come back to the genre after some of their more serious roles – The Morning Show and Uncut Gems, Jennifer said, “It’s like an escape for a moment. We are bombarded with so much tragey all the time so it’s good to clear that out and just have some fun. That’s what we love to do, it makes us happy. And if I finish a season of The Morning Show, it’s like ‘get me to comedy please’. It’s a nice balance.”
Adam echoed the sentiment and said, “We love doing comedy and just having people have a good time. As Jennifer says, this time in the world is just as good a time as any to watch something you can sit down and laugh over.”
Between Friends and 50 First Dates, Aniston and Sandler have a fair share of fan requests for sequels. When quizzed about characters they’d want to revisit, the former picked Polly Prince from Along Came Polly. “I was thinking about that recently. I’d do one of ours (with Adam Sandler) obviously. I’d also do Polly, she was such a fun character,” she said.
Jennifer urged Adam to consider a You Don’t Mess With the Zohan sequel to which the actor said, “I could never do the Zohan because I’m never gonna get in shape like that again. It’s over! I don’t want to be him again, it’s too much work.”
Upon some prompting from Jennifer, the actor admitted, “If I could, I would do it,” as he reflected on his unforgettable role.
Watch the hilarious conversation here:
Murder Mystery 2 is all set to release on April 31, 2023 on OTT.