Thomas Haden Church Says a SIDEWAYS Sequel Was Coming Together at One Point
One of my favorite films starring Thomas Haden Church is Alexander Payne and Paul Giamatti’s Sideways. He was so good in that, and it was a great movie in general. There’s something about that film that just clicked with me.
The 2004 movie is a witty comedic drama that delves into the complexities of friendship, love, and the pursuit of happiness through the lens of two middle-aged men, Miles and Jack, played by Giamatti and Haden Church. As they embark on a week-long road trip through California's wine country, the characters' personal journeys unfold. Miles, a depressed and unsuccessful writer with a passion for wine, seeks solace and escape in the vineyards, while Jack, a has-been actor, looks to indulge in his last days of bachelorhood. Their adventures lead to encounters with a couple of women, including Maya and Stephanie, portrayed by Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh, who challenge their perspectives on life and love.
Well, it turns out there was actually almost a sequel to Sideways! The whole creative team was involved, everyone wanted to do it, and then nothing happened. During a recent interview with CB, Haden Church talked about the scrapped sequel project, saying:
"There were some conversations about it probably three years ago. There were some conversations about maybe, but it's such a unique thing. You know, I never really spoke to Paul [Giamatti] about it. We exchanged messages. I did talk to Alexander a little bit about it and then the producer Michael London and, of course, Searchlight was chomping to do it, you know, because that's an automatic hit. Especially with Alexander, Paul, and I together again ... They pitched me the story of what they wanted us to do, which was a great idea and there was some talk about it but then it just sort of, I don't know, it just drifted away."
Unfortunately, the actor doesn’t offer any details on the story for the sequel, but it would’ve been fun and interesting to revisit these characters again. At this point, it doesn’t sound like it will ever happen, but I’d still be curious to know what the story would’ve been.