How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days 2 has no script yet — McConaughey says that's the only thing stopping him

Matthew McConaughey is back in the rom-com news cycle again – sort of. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days Part 2 is apparently real, if still somewhere between a spreadsheet and a napkin sketch at this point, and McConaughey didn't exactly bring a truckload of details to the Brothers premiere in LA. If you were hoping for a big reunion between Ben Barry and Andie Anderson – patience, because everything is still at that 'lots of chats, few signatures' stage.

So, what actually happened? Variety caught McConaughey on the red carpet and pressed him about the status of the sequel. Did he and Kate Hudson finally have ‘the talk’ about getting the band back together? Not quite. He admitted he ran into Hudson recently but, as for the film itself, listen to what he had to say:

Speaking to Variety on the red carpet, McConaughey said he hadn’t seen the sequel scripts yet, and added, "If the script and story’s right, I’d like the idea."

Who’s Actually In (And Who Isn’t)?

Despite Paramount’s press releases dangling McConaughey’s name, he hasn't signed on. In fact, from his comments, it seems they haven’t even put a finished script in front of him. That puts the project squarely in development limbo – the usual state for any legacy sequel when a big star is circling but not committed. Paramount has made it clear they want him back as Benjamin Barry, but the ball’s not in their court just yet.

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Meanwhile, Kate Hudson is already in the fold, and not just for the acting. She’s lined up as a producer with Stacey Sher, which means she’s got some creative say if and when the script materialises. The snag? They haven’t hired a screenwriter yet, so there’s nothing more than a basic premise floating about – that Andie and Ben are now parents (because of course they are) and presumably dealing with a new mess of romantic hijinks.

Paramount announced the sequel is in the works, but production is waiting on a scriptwriter and official casting contracts.

How We Got Here

If you somehow missed the original film (or have successfully purged it from memory), How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days was released in 2003, directed by Donald Petrie. The plot: magazine writer Andie tries to make a bloke dump her in, yes, 10 days, while Ben tries to make a woman fall for him for a bet. Cue sabotage, wacky set-pieces, and eventually, the inevitable run-to-the-airport scene. It was lambasted by critics as much as it was beloved by everyone who watched it at uni after too many drinks – it clings to a 42% Rotten Tomatoes score, which is both harsh and, if you’ve seen it, maybe a bit fair. Still, it’s one of the defining rom-coms of the 2000s (“iconic” might be strong, but here we are).

So, what’s next? With Hudson producing and McConaughey playing it as laid-back as ever, the sequel exists more as an idea than a production. If a script finally emerges and both leads sign on in the coming months, expect Paramount to roll out every possible nostalgia play in the book. Until then, it's a waiting game for fans, and another day of 'wait and see' for the actual sequel.

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