30 Years Later, Fans Still Want a Sequel to Vince Vaughn’s Swingers

Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn became household names when they joined forces for the celebrated 1996 comedy hit Swingers, in which the dynamic duo star as two Los Angeles pals who are struggling to make it in the entertainment industry and chase their Hollywood dreams while also navigating the world of romance and women. Vaughn knocked it out of the park as the womanizing Trent Walker, with the decorated actor serving up a heaping dose of charm, wit, and humor in the unforgettable role.

Swingers went on to become a massive critical and financial triumph, emerging as one of the decade’s most profitable independent flicks while also putting its talented cast and crew on the map. Nearly thirty years later, fans of the beloved movie still hold the sidesplitting comedy in high regard, with many hoping that a long-desired sequel would get made as a result of its dazzling success. In 2024, Vince Vaughn revealed that there was indeed a script for Swingers 2 that Favreau had penned but sadly did not come to fruition. Let’s take a look back at Swingers and reflect upon the sequel that could have been.

Vince Vaughn’s Electrifying Hollywood Breakthrough

The cool, calm, and slick-talking Vince Vaughn is one of the silver screen’s most recognizable leading men, with the charismatic actor going on to become one of the comedy world’s most distinguished stars. Vaughn first skyrocketed to prominence when he appeared alongside Jon Favreau in the 1996 buddy comedy Swingers. He portrayed aspiring actor and self-proclaimed lothario Trent Walker, who takes his close friend and New York City transplant Mike Peters (Favreau) under his wing after the struggling comedian moves to sunny Los Angeles in the aftermath of a tough breakup.

As Mike struggles to get over his ex-girlfriend and revive his floundering comedy career, the womanizing Trent sets out to help build his buddy’s confidence back up and introduces him to California’s social scene. Together, Mike and Trent explore the wonders of L.A.’s nightlife and the many colorful characters in the city, as they attempt to break into the entertainment industry and find some purpose in their lives. Mike finds his luck changing when he meets the down-to-earth and beautiful Lorraine (Heather Graham), which forces him to face his devastating breakup once and for all and finally let go of the past.

The Sequel That Almost Was

Hollywood triple threat Jon Favreau both wrote and co-starred in the smash hit ’90s comedy, which helped pave the way for his dazzling and downright enviable filmmaking career that would fully come to fruition at the beginning of the new millennium. Due to the overwhelmingly successful performance of the cult classic, devoted fans couldn’t help but hope and pray that a follow-up sequel would be created, as audiences couldn’t get enough of the effortless on-screen camaraderie and bantering between Vaughn and Favreau.

Fans nearly got their wish, as Vaughn revealed in a recent interview that Favreau actually did in fact pen a screenplay for a potential sequel hot-off-the-heels of its popular predecessor. However, the duo ultimately decided not to pursue the project. Getting the story right and making sure the sequel made sense was the duo’s biggest concern, as the original film was loosely based on Favreau’s own personal experiences when he first moved to Los Angeles and began chasing his dreams. Since the premise held such special meaning to Favreau, a follow-up had to make sense and feel organic, with Vaughn telling Variety in 2024:

“But there was a script even for Swingers 2 that Jon wrote that was really fun, but we didn’t feel like it was the right thing to do. Obviously when you have a commercial hit,
there’s always a race to get the sequel out as soon as possible, but I always felt like it had to have its own story
. So, there were talks at different times.”

It has been nearly 30 years since the release of the uproarious and wildly entertaining Swingers, and sadly it doesn’t look like fans will get the highly-anticipated sequel they have long been hoping for. However, Vince Vaughn lovers can take some comfort in knowing that the enduring movie star may revisit a couple of his other sidesplitting characters, as there have been discussions surrounding potential sequels to his beloved comedy hits Wedding Crashersand Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (though nothing has materialized as of yet).

Swingers Remains an Influential Independent Triumph

Jon Favreau surprisingly wrote the script for Swingers in just two weeks, with the comedy becoming his first official screenwriting endeavor, and he turned to his real-life friends and collaborators Vince Vaughn and Ron Livingston to star in the Hollywood production alongside him. Made on an extremely modest budget of $250,000, the film was shot in just 18 days with Favreau cutting corners to keep costs down, using his real-life apartment at the time to serve as Mike’s house and filming actual bar patrons as production couldn’t afford to rent the places and pay for extras.

Swingers made its sensational debut on October 18, 1996, and swiftly became a critical and commercial triumph, with the comedy grossing $4.6 million. It garnered praise for its wonderfully sharp screenplay, amusing characters and storyline, and the endearing chemistry between lead stars Favreau and Vaughn. In the decades since its release, Swingers has emerged as a celebrated cult classic and its initial premiere coincided with the swing revival that occurred in the 1990s, helping both the movement and movie thrive during its resurgence.

The influential independent hit helped propel both Favreau and Vaughn to superstardom while also launching director Doug Liman’s filmmaking career, as he would go on to helm popular flicks like The Bourne Identity and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The legacy and impact of Swingers have only grown in the years since its debut, with the comedy attracting appreciation for its epic soundtrack and endlessly quotable dialogue, while also being named by Empire magazine as one of the “50 Greatest American Independent Films” of all time.

Stream Swingers on Paramount+.