Has it really been that long? It was two years ago that Michael Winterbottom‘s hilarious “The Trip” hit theaters, landing on our feature The Best Films Of 2011…So Far list, and indeed was a highlight for the entire year for many Playlist staffers. The road trip comedy paired real-life pals Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as fictionalized versions of themselves, traveling through the British countryside, with the former on assignment doing restaurant reviews. But it was really just an excuse for the pair to improvise, talk, squabble, deliver endlessly quotable one-liners, and perform a string of celebrity impressions. Talk has been brewing for a while now of a follow-up, and it’s now officially happening.
IFC Films has nabbed the U.S. rights to “The Trip To Italy,” which as you might guess from the title, will repeat the format only this time under the Tuscan sun. As for what the story will be, Coogan previously teased that the pair would be “retracing the steps of Shelley and Byron, with all the attendant pompousness and portent.” And yes, that sounds like a pretty perfect backdrop for these two guys to once again drive each other up the wall.
So, in case you missed it the first time around and need some convincing, or if you want a trip down memory lane, here are five great clips featuring some of the various impressions the duo dished out in the first film. We don’t quite remember if these are all from the edited down American version of “The Trip,” or from the lengthier six-part BBC series (which is definitely worth tracking down) — or both — but it’s reminder of how good these guys are together. So, without further ado, here’s Michael Sheen/Dustin Hoffman, Ray Winstone, Stephen Hawking, Liam Neeson and Michael Caine. [Deadline]