🏍️ Wild Hogs 2: Bachelor Ride — The Comedy Sequel Disney Canceled

When Wild Hogs rolled into theaters in 2007, few expected the middle-aged biker comedy to become a box office phenomenon. Starring John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy, and Tim Allen, the film grossed over $250 million worldwide despite being savaged by critics with a dismal 14% Rotten Tomatoes score. It even managed to outpace David Fincher’s acclaimed thriller Zodiac at the box office.

With numbers like that, a sequel seemed inevitable — and Disney quickly announced Wild Hogs 2: Bachelor Ride. But by 2009, the project was abruptly canceled, leaving fans wondering what went wrong.

📉 Old Dogs Doomed the Ride

The turning point was the 2009 release of Old Dogs, another comedy from Wild Hogs director Walt Becker, starring John Travolta and Robin Williams. Marketed as family fun, the film was savaged by critics (5% on Rotten Tomatoes) and limped to just under $100 million globally.

Disney saw Old Dogs as a warning sign. If audiences were cooling on Travolta-led comedies, backing another big-name ensemble like Wild Hogs 2 suddenly looked riskier. The studio quickly axed Wedding Banned (a Robin Williams/Anna Faris project) and Wild Hogs 2 in the same sweep.

Adding to the unease was Martin Lawrence’s College Road Trip (2008), which also underperformed. By the time Old Dogs landed, Disney had little appetite for another aging-star comedy gamble.

🎬 Disney’s Shift to Blockbusters

Another major factor: Disney’s strategy shift. Under studio chairman Rich Ross, Disney was moving away from modestly budgeted comedies in favor of tentpole blockbusters.

In development at the time were Tron: Legacy (2010), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), and John Carter (2012) — all big, effects-driven projects intended to launch or sustain franchises.

Against this backdrop, a road-trip comedy sequel looked small, outdated, and off-brand. Ironically, many of these blockbusters underperformed — John Carter was a financial disaster, Tron: Legacy failed to kickstart a franchise, and even Pirates showed fatigue. In hindsight, Wild Hogs 2 might have been the safer bet.

⚠️ Disney’s Rocky Era

The cancellation also reflected broader instability at Disney. Ross’ tenure was short and turbulent, marked by several costly misfires. His decision to shelve Wild Hogs 2 was part of a pattern of risky calls that ultimately cost him his job.

For fans, the sting was real: the original Wild Hogs may not have been high art, but it struck a chord with middle-aged audiences, biker culture enthusiasts, and comedy fans. Dropping the sequel in favor of films that later flopped only made the decision seem shortsighted.

🛑 The Final Word on Wild Hogs 2

There were rumblings as late as 2017 that WWE Studios was eyeing a revival of Bachelor Ride, but nothing ever materialized. The original cast has since moved on, and the cultural footprint of Wild Hogs has faded, remembered more as a surprise box office hit than a comedy classic.

Still, its canceled sequel remains a fascinating “what if” in Disney’s history — a victim of poor timing, studio politics, and misplaced priorities.