Arthur 2: On the Rocks
Arthur 2: On the Rocks is a 1988 American romantic comedy film and the sequel to the 1981 film Arthur. Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Stephen Elliott, Thomas Barbour, Ted Ross and Barney Martin reprise their roles with Cynthia Sikes replacing Jill Eikenberry, who was committed to filming L.A. Law at the time, in the role of Susan Johnson. Burt Bacharach also returned to score the film. The soundtrack also features songs by popular artists, including OMD and Kylie Minogue. While still a comedy, On the Rocks is somewhat darker than its predecessor. The film received generally negative reviews and also was a financial disappointment when compared to the more successful original.
Arthur 2: On the Rocks
- Dudley Moore
- Liza Minnelli
- John Gielgud
- July 8, 1988
113 minutes
United States
English
$14.7 million
Production[edit]
In 1987, Warner Bros. and Orion Pictures, the studio who made the original Arthur (1981), made a tradeoff agreement to facilitate the filming of Throw Momma from the Train (1987), developed by Orion Pictures, and the development of Arthur 2. The deal was provided by producer Larry Brezner, who produced Throw Momma from the Train as well as the original Arthur. In return for permission to use clips from the Alfred Hitchcock film Strangers on a Train (1951) in Throw Momma from the Train, Brezner's production company surrendered the remake and sequel rights of the original Arthur to Warner Bros. Although Warner Bros. distributed the original Arthur, the rights were jointly owned by Rollins, Joffe, Morra, Brezner, and Warner Bros.; Warner could not have proceeded with the Arthur sequel without the consent of Brezner's company.[1]