‘Hangover’ stars Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis reportedly seeking $15 million each to star in third film

In order for fans of The Hangover to get a Part III, Warner Bros. is going to have to pay big. The three stars of the first two films, Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis, are reportedly seeking a huge pay raise in order to return for a potential third film.

Sources told The Hollywood Reporter, that the three stars are seeking $15 million each (against the backend), which is a huge pay raise, when the first film cost just $35 million to make in 2009. For the original The Hangover, each star was paid at least $1 million, with Cooper getting the most since he was already a big-time actor at the time. When the film suddenly went on to make $467 million worldwide, negotiations for The Hangover Part II resulted in a $5 million pay day for each. Part II wound up making even more money, grossing $581 million worldwide last year.

According to Indiewire’s The Playlist, Cooper recently said in an interview that the third film would return to the US, taking place in Los Angeles. Warner Bros. plans to begin shooting the film in the summer, which could result in a Memorial Day 2013 release date to replicate the massive success Part II had opening around that time last year. That would mean it would have a battle for the top of the box office with Universal’s sixth The Fast & The Furious film.

Warner Bros. is going to need Part III in 2013, its first year in nearly a decade without a Harry Potter or Batman film to boost box office receipts. The studio had planned to release Akira and Arthur & Lancelot, but those two films were delayed thanks to budget problems.

As for what Part III will be about exactly, director Todd Phillips promised that it will not follow the same template as the first two and will be a conclusion to the story.