Napoleon Dynamite 2: Jon Heder Reveals Sequel Talks With Director Jared Hess

Napoleon Dynamite star Jon Heder and writer-director Jared Hess are "always playing with the idea" of a 15-years-later sequel reuniting the cast of the 2004 cult comedy, Heder revealed during a virtual reunion with co-stars Efren Ramirez and Diedrich Bader. The original movie follows deluded daydreamer Napoleon (Heder) and his efforts to elect transfer student Pedro Sánchez (Ramirez) as class president over popular girl Summer Wheatley (Haylie Duff), culminating in a dance routine performed to Jamiroquai's "Canned Heat." A Napoleon Dynamite 2 could follow Napoleon into a "raw and edgy" future, catching up with shy classmate Deb (Tina Majorino), Napoleon's braggadocious brother Kip (Aaron Ruell), and the get-rich-quick-scheming Uncle Rico (Jon Gries).

"I would come back if Jared decided, 'Hey, let's go ahead, and let's see if we can pull off the magic,'" Heder said during a virtual Wizard World panel. "We've thought about it. We're always playing with the idea."

"I know I've talked a little bit with Jared, and it's his baby, so I'm just like, 'You pull the trigger on that,'" Heder added. The star, who previously reprised his mouth breather role for a short-lived animated series that aired on Fox in 2012, remarked a grown-up Napoleon could make for "a dark version."

"I feel like the future for Napoleon would be a lot more raw and edgy. So whatever he comes up with would be fun to explore," he said. "Because I think whatever Jared comes up with wouldn't be your typical, 'Let's do a sequel where they all look the same and they all act the same.' I think it would be an interesting development in their lives."

Added Ramirez, "It would have to be a bit different, but still in that whole genre of Napoleon Dynamite and his mind."

Sharing an improvised pitch, Ramirez imagined a future where Pedro, now the owner of a bakery, is married to Summer and the father of five children. Kip has become a cage fighter while Uncle Rico embarks on his latest business venture, and "Rex Kwon Do" martial arts instructor Rex (Bader) tackles marital troubles with wife Starla.

"There's so much more depth to find through these characters, especially in their futures," Ramirez said. "That would be pretty interesting."

A four-issue Napoleon Dynamite comic book sequel was released by IDW Publishing in 2019. In their senior year, Napoleon and now-girlfriend Deb work to shut down an "Impeach Pedro" campaign when the class president is accused of cheating in the election.