The Hangover was the sleeper hit of 2009. An R Rated comedy that managed to rake in almost half a billion dollars in box office world wide. That sort of money is always going to create an interest for a second film, a second film that Warner and Legendary Pictures were thinking about before the film debuted. Now Deadline reports the pieces have come together for the second picture.

First film stars Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms have all signed on for the second movie while director/producer Todd Philips has also signed on. The studio has done the right thing in bringing back the key players from the original although they are coming back to much bigger deals than before.

The three main actors were collectively paid just under $1 million for the first film and director Philips chose to receive 15% of the film's overall revenue for his salary. Warner signed all those deals quickly as they didn't think the film would be this much of a success or they knew it would be a success and didn't want to pay out huge bonuses to the actors. In the end Philips went on to make almost $50 million from the original while the other three were eventually paid a $1 million bonus for the first film.

With the films success the actors had some leverage and were demanding much improved deals from Warner. None of the cast were optioned for a second film so Warner had to offer them new deals. In the end Deadline have reported that each of the trio will get $5 million and 4% of the first dollar gross while director Philips will receive $10 million upfront and 10% of the gross. In the end it means Philips will walk away with close to the same amount of money he got from the first Hangover if the movie can perform as well at the box-office.

The film is aiming for a November 1 film date and possibly a Memorial Day 2011 weekend release (May 26th-28th). Curiously Justin Bartha, the reason for the first Hangover (he was getting married), isn't mentioned in the massive deal. I guess that's pointing to him having another minor role in the second film, if he appears.

Everyone involved will be hoping the film can perform as well as the first. The film has made a good start by securing the original team but they'll have to ensure that the sequel has the right mix of the familiar and the fresh so that it doesn't feel like the same movie just in a different place (there have been rumors of exotic locales like Thailand or Mexico). There is clearly an audience for this type of comedy if it's done right and hopefully, with the same people involved, lightening will strike twice.