‘The Hangover Part 3′ Gets a Release Date, Will Be the Last of Series

Though the response to 'The Hangover Part II' was tepid, the film made $581 million worldwide, which meant that a third film was all but assured. Warner Brothers confirmed that certainty today with a new release date for 'The Hangover Part 3' plus word from director Todd Phillips told that it will be the series finale.

Phillips confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the third 'Hangover' film will hit theaters on May 24, 2013. Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis are set to reprise their roles as the leads of the film. No word if Justin Bartha, or Ken Jeong are returning, though it's hard to imagine they won't if offered. My hope for the franchise is they take it in a completely different direction and abandon the boys in Utah, or some place where their sexual and drug-filled hijinks are at complete odds with their setting. After Bangkok, where could they go next that would even darker?

As the second film virtually redressed the first film in a different location and took things a much darker, the likely conclusion will involve some form of death to a main character. That seems to be what Phillips is implying, though the ideas of trilogies are outdated in our "does it still make money?" movie culture. Perhaps if they do kill someone off, they'll reboot it in 2015.