Why The Sequel To “The Blues Brothers” Was Never Made

Director John Landis faced considerable challenges when attempting to create the sequel to the beloved 1980 film, The Blues Brothers, especially following the death of his co-star, John Belushi. His frustrations peaked during the production of Blues Brothers 2000 in 1998, as he recounted in a candid interview with IFC.

Landis revealed:

“I was very pissed off by what Universal did to me on Blues Brothers 2000 and that was my first experience with the new corporate Hollywood.
“Everything is by committee now, and they destroyed that movie, though the music is still good. This happens to filmmakers all the time, where producers and studios mess with their picture, and when you’re promoting the movie you can’t say that.”

Initially, Landis, Belushi, and Dan Aykroyd had plans for a sequel, but Belushi’s untimely death in 1982 shelved those ideas. Aykroyd later revived the concept, with Jim Belushi and John Goodman stepping into the Blues Brothers roles intermittently. By the late ’90s, Aykroyd and Landis felt the timing was ripe for a sequel.

Landis recalled:

“We wrote what I thought was a terrific script.
“Then Universal Studios eviscerated it. That was a strange experience, because the first thing they said was that it had to be PG, which meant they couldn’t use profanity, which is basically cutting the Blues Brothers’ nuts off.”

Why Dan Aykroyd Endured Studio Interference in ‘Blues Brothers 2000’

Despite the studio interference demanding a more family-friendly approach, Aykroyd remained committed to the project for a noble reason. “It’s about the music. It’s just about the music, John, so don’t worry about it,” Aykroyd reassured Landis. “We’ll get the best people, and we’ll make a great album, and get these people on film. We have to document these people.”

Blues Brothers 2000 did manage to capture performances from blues and soul legends like Dr. John, Aretha Franklin, and B.B. King, preserving their talents on screen. However, Landis acknowledged that the compromises made for the studio significantly diluted the film’s impact and originality. Despite a poignant opening scene featuring Aykroyd’s Elwood Blues, the sequel failed to recapture the magic of the original, receiving widespread criticism and a short-lived run in theaters.