Nathan Lee Graham, Reese Witherspoon, and Rhona Mitra. Cover Images
The cast of Sweet Home Alabama has made plenty of comments about the possibility of a sequel to the 2002 movie.
The rom-com starring Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas and Patrick Dempsey was a box-office success after its release, and it has continued to charm fans over 20 years later. The story follows Melanie Smooter (Witherspoon), a successful fashion designer in New York City who adopted the last name “Carmichael” to hide her poor Southern roots. After wealthy politician Andrew Hennings (Dempsey) proposes, Melanie heads home to Alabama to finalize her divorce from Jake Perry (Lucas), her first love whom she’s known since childhood.
Melanie reconnects with her roots as her real past is exposed to Andrew, and she finds her way back to Jake.
In addition to the top-billed actors, the supporting cast includes Dakota Fanning, who plays a 10-year-old Melanie, Fred Ward, Mary Kay Place, Jean Smart, Candice Bergen, Ethan Embry and Melanie Lynskey.
Keep reading to see what the cast has said about a potential sequel.
Reese Witherspoon
In 2022, Witherspoon reacted to the idea of a sequel after Hoda Kotb asked whether the movie would ever have a “reboot” during the actress’ appearance on Today.
“I hope so. I think that would be a great idea,” Witherspoon said at the time. Cohost Jenna Bush Hager then asked whether the actress would star in the potential film.
“Maybe. I don’t know. That sounds fun. Do you guys want me to do that?” Witherspoon said before reacting to the hosts’ positive reactions. “OK, I’ll make some calls,” she joked.
Sweet Home Alabama became a classic rom-com almost as soon as it hit theaters in 2002, thanks to the charm — and chemistry — of leads Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas. Witherspoon stars as Melanie Smooter, a New York City fashion designer who hides her Pigeon Creek, Alabama, origins by using the last name “Carmichael.” […]
Before that, Witherspoon confirmed she would “happily” remake the iconic movie.
“I love Sweet Home Alabama!” she said during a Facebook Live chat in August 2016. “We are not making a sequel that I know of, but if Disney wants to call me, I would happily make a Sweet Home Alabama 2!”
Josh Lucas
“Look, I would love to do the sequel,” Lucas said during a July 2023 appearance on SiriusXM’s Pop Culture Spotlight With Jessica Shaw. “And I’m saying that, like, laughingly, but Reese is, you know, I’ve heard like, ‘Oh, you can talk to her about stuff five years from now.’ You know, she’s a mogul.”
The actor continued: “And back when I was doing Sweet Home Alabama, I, for some reason, remember telling the director or somebody speaking about her, but I said, ‘I bet this woman ends up running a movie studio one day.’ And she’s even beyond that at this point. … I mean, it’s extraordinary and not surprising either, at all.”
What, like it’s hard? Reese Witherspoon has had quite the evolution throughout her career — as an actress, producer and businesswoman. The southern belle made a splash with her debut film, 1991’s The Man in the Moon, at the ripe age of 14. While she briefly put her acting aspirations on hold following her high […]
Andy Tennant
Tennant, Sweet Home Alabama’s director, developed a sequel concept where “Reese’s character and Melanie Lynskey’s character take their kids on a college tour,” he told Business Insider in 2022.
“Reese’s daughter, Ava, went to school with my son, so I would see Reese on occasion. … When the movie got to, like, 13 to 14 years later, I started thinking where they would all be. Where are those four characters now: Melanie, Jake, Andrew and Melanie Lynskey’s character, Lurlynn?” Tennant explained. “My kids were going through college, so it got me thinking about a new generation of kids going to school and young love and what that would do to parents when they see their kids being real grown-ups. If the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, what is Melanie’s daughter like?”
However, Tennant admitted Witherspoon likely hasn’t seen his script, adding, “Even Reese’s lawyer loved the treatment, but that’s as close as I got.”
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Dakota Fanning
The actress fueled sequel speculation after commenting on Witherspoon’s Instagram account in 2021. Witherspoon posted a photo from Sweet Home Alabama with the caption, “Do you remember what she said?”
Fanning commented the correct answer, “The truth is I gave my heart away a long time ago, my whole heart, and I never really got it back.”
Witherspoon made fans swoon when she responded, “Love you, little Melanie.”