Jeff Bridges Could Be Open to a Sequel to 1998’s THE BIG LEBOWSKI If…

Jeff Bridges Could Want to Do a Big Lebowski Sequel

Oscar-winner Jeff Bridges wouldn’t mind doing a sequel to the 1998 hit, The Big Lebowski, but there would need to be involvement from the original directors, The Coen Brothers.

Jeff Bridges is much more than “The Old Man.” He’s a true “dude” if his role in 1998’s classic, The Big Lebowski, has anything to say on the matter. Now, the actor has revealed that he would reprise his role as “The Dude” in a Big Lebowski sequel if the filmmakers of the first film, The Coen Brothers, were involved.

The Big Lebowski was initially praised by renowned former film critic, Roger Ebert, and in a rare scenario, the movie garnered more stars from Ebert as the years progressed from its original theatrical release. That’s right, Ebert raised the star rating even higher after multiple viewings. That may be because Bridges’s role as “The Dude” was the type of role that seemed so easy to play but after watching the movie more than once, the viewer could certainly see the actor’s distinct style which he put into every aspect of that character. “The Dude” didn’t dress too fancily. In fact, he dressed like he was hanging around his house even when he went out. It’s one of Bridges’s most memorable roles to date.

Bridges deserved to win an Oscar for his role as a plane crash survivor in the tense, brilliant 1993 Peter Weir film, Fearless, but Bridges finally got the Academy Award a little more than a decade and a half later for his work in the terrific dramatic movie, Crazy Heart. He starred opposite Maggie Gyllenhaal there who got an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actress. It’s no surprise playing the quirky character “The Dude” didn’t get Bridges an Oscar nod although it was certainly a worthy performance when considering how well it has held up over the years.

When The Big Lebowski opened in March of 1998, it only received a “B” CinemaScore. It earned $18 million at the box-office which was impressive given its “select” appeal. Let’s face it. Only the Coen Brothers could have gotten away with a movie as offbeat as Lebowski and to the directors’ credit, the casting of John Goodman opposite Bridges was simply inspired. Bridges and Goodman played off each other like two comic geniuses even though Bridges was always known more for his drama.

In 1999, Bridges played in Albert Brooks’s zany comedy The Muse and in 1996 (before Lebowski), Bridges starred as a college professor in the funny Barbra Streisand film, The Mirror Has Two Faces.

Audiences would love to see Bridges play “The Dude” again and although it seems unlikely to happen, who knows if the Coen Brothers would join forces again to team up with Bridges one more time for a last hurrah?

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