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When discussing the potential of a third Murder Mystery movie, stars Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston revealed that there is one detail that will stay the same in the next installment, avoiding a major Hollywood romance trope. Murder Mystery is a romantic mystery and comedy following a married couple who find themselves involved in a murder investigation on their vacation. The first film was released in 2019 and a sequel Murder Mystery 2 came out in 2023, both on Netflix.
In a recent interview with Screen Rant, Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler discussed Murder Mystery 2 and the potential of a third movie. When discussing the plot of this new film, the actors announced that their characters would likely still be married. Sandler said, "We're gonna be married in the third. That's all we got so far. We still love each other or is it a weird thing?" Though this detail may seem like a small one, it actually subverts a major trope that appears in romance/action movies such as Murder Mystery, making the franchise stand out from others of its kind.
By announcing that their characters Nick and Audrey Spitz would still be in love in Murder Mystery 3, the actors are getting rid of the classic, sequel trope in which the film's couple has romantic problems that become the main conflict of the film. Often, films that star a couple or have a lead duo use the same old storyline in which the pair's relationship problems are a significant subplot. Smaller tropes like miscommunication play a big role in these storylines as well.
However, Sandler and Aniston's firm belief that the Spitz's would remain married and in love in Murder Mystery 3 shows how this basic and easy plot line will likely not appear in the third installment. This will be a beneficial move for the franchise as it subverts audience expectations and better characterizes the Spitz's. Despite everything they've been through, the pair can stick together through anything.
Although Murder Mystery doesn't entirely lack tropes that are common to romance movies or Adam Sandler films, the franchise has always done a good job of using the main romance as a foundation. Rather than putting the Spitz's love at risk in order to raise the stakes or add drama, the films keep the couple solid which allows them to have a steady place to jump from when they need to take risks or enter danger. If Sandler and Aniston's characters have each other, then they can do anything the franchise throws their way.
A small detail from Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler's Screen Rant interview made a major breakthrough in the potential plot of Murder Mystery 3. The franchise will continue relying on its strengths, the Spitz's, and will avoid the easy, cliche tropes of past romance sequels. In this way, the Murder Mystery franchise will likely continue to stand out among the rest.
