Here Are The Odds A 'Happiest Season 2' Will Happen, Because We Need More Riley
If you can't stop thinking about the star-studded Christmas rom-com Happiest Season, you are not alone. The film — which features national treasures Kristen Stewart, Dan Levy, Aubrey Plaza, and more — has brought up a ton of questions. But the one that seems to be on everyone's might right now is: Will a Happiest Season sequel happen or not? In an interview with Variety, director Clea DuVall opened up about the possibility of a second movie and what it might be about — and it sounds promising.
It's pretty common for networks to greenlight sequels for successful holiday films, especially given the genre's seasonal popularity. And there are certainly plenty of story threads left for a Happiest Season follow-up movie to explore.
One of the big reasons fans have called for a sequel involves Plaza's character Riley. While the movie gives Abby (Stewart) and Harper's (Mackenzie Davis) love story a sweet ending, Riley got left out in the cold. The character, a wise-cracking doctor who used to date Harper, became the breakout fan-favorite of the film. In fact, viewers loved her so much, many thought Abby should have ended up with Riley instead of Harper. But despite the electric chemistry between Abby and Riley, the main couple worked through their struggles and Riley ended up on her own (although a photo in the film's end credits hints she started dating a character played by DuVall).
Amid calls for a spinoff centered on Riley, DuVall confirmed she is brainstorming ideas for a sequel. "I would love to do a sequel," DuVall told Variety. "I mean, I have a couple of ideas. We all had such a great time making the movie that we were talking about it then. But it was also just like, who knew if anybody would care about the movie or not? So I definitely am more than open to it."
There are a lot of routes DuVall could take to make a sequel to Happiest Season. If she wants to keep Abby and Harper at the center, a second movie could involve their wedding, since the film ended with the couple getting engaged. However, another movie could shift the focus to the side characters, instead, possibly focusing on Abby's devoted bestie John (Levy) and/or Riley. Both beloved characters played supporting roles in Happiest Season, leaving the particulars of their own personal relationships largely unexplored. Throw in a Jane (Mary Holland) storyline and it sounds like another hit waiting to happen.
As of now, a sequel is still just a thought in DuVall's head, so fans will have to wait to see if Happiest Season 2 is ever officially announced by Hulu. Here's hoping fans can spend the holidays with this crew again in 2021.
