'Project X' Sequel in the Works at Warner Bros. (Exclusive)

Warner Bros. is keeping the party going. The studio is quietly working on a sequel to Project X, the raucous teen movie that opened to a strong $21 million during the weekend.

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Michael Bacall, who wrote the story for the movie and co-wrote the screenplay with Matt Drake, is writing a treatment for the sequel. Whether the treatment carries over to the script stage will depend on the producers, Todd Phillips and his Green Hat shingle and Joel Silver’s Silver Pictures. Bacall began work on the treatment several weeks before the movie opened.  

Project X revolves around three losers, played by Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper and Jonathan Brown, who throw a party in a bid to boost their profiles. The shindig quickly gets out of hand, resulting in unchecked debauchery, a suburban neighborhood under fire and a showdown with the police. 

It's unclear whether the actors would return for a sequel or whether the studio has options on the trio, though both seem likely. Warner Bros. found itself without sequel deals for the trio of stars of The Hangover and was forced to pay a premium when it moved to make a sequel. Project X’s success isn’t on that level, nor are its actors well known — it's the first feature for Cooper and Brown — so there isn’t a real danger of the studio having its back to the wall.

Bacall, repped by WME and Stroock & Stroock, is in the middle of a Hollywood moment. Not only is he riding high on Project X’s success but he's also a writer on 21 Jump Street, which opens March 16 and has been enjoying positive early reviews.

Email: Borys.Kit@thr.com

Twitter: @Borys_Kit