How many Hangover films are there? Box office, rating and renewal status explored 

The Hangover is a popular film series, directed by Todd Phillips, that enjoys a dedicated fan following with its raunchy comedy and enjoyable performances. The first part opened in theaters in 2009 and emerged as a major success. It was followed by the second and third installments in 2011 and 2013, which did well at the box office despite receiving negative reviews from critics.

The three films were headlined by Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha. Mike Tyson appeared as himself in the first two parts. All three installments were produced by Todd Phillips and Dan Golberg and distributed by Warner Bros Pictures. The trilogy was shot in locations such as Los Angeles, California, Nevada, and Las Vegas.

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Will there be The Hangover 4?

In the latest November 24 episode of The New Yorker Radio Hour, Bradley Cooper recently said that he would agree to star in the fourth installment ‘in an instant’ if the film materializes as he shares a good rapport with the team.

However, he added that the film is unlikely to happen anytime soon as Todd Phillips isn't interested.

He told,

“I would probably do Hangover 4 in an instant. Just because I love Todd, I love Zach, I love Ed so much, I probably would. I don’t think Todd is ever going to do that."

Interestingly, Zach Galifianakis had in 2021 jokingly said that the fourth part would work best as a family-friendly Pixar film.

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Which installment is the best?

The first film is widely regarded as the best installment of the franchise and holds an approval rating of 79 percent on Rotten Tomatoes based on 241 reviews.

The critics' consensus reads “With a clever script and hilarious interplay among the cast, The Hangover nails just the right tone of raunchy humor, and the non-stop laughs overshadow any flaw.”

This is followed by the second part, which holds a rating of 34 percent based on 249 reviews. The critics' consensus is that, unlike the first part, it lacks an ‘element of surprise.’

It further reads,

“A crueler, darker, raunchier carbon copy of the first installment, The Hangover Part II lacks the element of surprise -- and most of the joy -- that helped make the original a hit."

The third film, meanwhile, has a rating of merely 20 percent based on 206 reviews. The critics' consensus is that it ‘offers nothing compelling’.

"Less a comedy than an angrily dark action thriller, The Hangover Part III diverges from the series' rote formula but offers nothing compelling in its place."

Interestingly, the second and third installments of the franchise did well at the box office despite failing to impress critics.

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The Hangover franchise Box office collection explored

The trilogy's first part collected $469.3 million worldwide on a budget of $35 million and emerged as the tenth-highest-grossing film of 2009. It also became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy in the US, surpassing Beverly Hills Cop which held the record for 25 years.

Its sequel was shot on a budget of $80 million and grossed $586.6 million at the box office to emerge as a commercial success and the highest-grossing installment of the franchise. The third part collected $362 million against a budget of $103 million and is the lowest-grossing film of the trilogy.

The Hangover films are available to stream on multiple platforms.