Skip To Content
JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
The Schmooze

There’s Either Going To Be A ‘Big Lebowski’ Sequel Or A Really Annoying Superbowl Ad

“The Big Lebowski,” aka “Fiddler on the Roof” for dads, hit theaters in 1998. The world has not seen its equal since — a stoner mistaken-identity caper that gives equal screen time to crime and bowling, and which gave us the most immortal and profane quote in Jewish cinema.

And we’re not likely to.

On Thursday, “Lebowski” himself, Jeff Bridges, dropped footage of himself in character, with the caption “Can’t be living in the past, man. Stay tuned.” A fifteen second video of the now-69-year-old actor dressed in his shabby-chic loungewear ends with an oversize tumbleweed rolling down a street, only to reveal the date “2-13-19.”

It’s so tempting to believe that the date suggests a surprise sequel to the cult-classic, until you remember that February 3 is the date of the Superbowl, and that major motion pictures by A-list directors aren’t usually made in total secrecy.

Bridges is likely hinting at a “Big Lebowski”-themed Superbowl commercial. Sort of off-message for a Raymond Carver-inspired Coen brothers movie that has been recognized by the Library of Congress. But then again, we all want to know where our damn money is. Jeff Bridges can’t live on rugs and roaches alone.

Besides, can’t the dude just abide in our hearts and our collectors item “Big Lebowski” VHS tapes? Would we want a Trump-era take on the fine folks of 1991 Malibu? And wasn’t Bridges acceptance speech at the Golden Globes enough of a walk down Jeffrey Lebowski-lane for most of us?

These are questions that will probably be answered by money, not the will of the people. But “The Big Lebowski,” a movie that proves that men can be funny when they really put their minds to it, will reign in cinema greatness forever, regardless of its corporate future.

Jenny Singer is the deputy lifestyle editor for the Forward. You can reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @jeanvaljenny

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.

In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.

At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.

Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.

Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly. 

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30

Republish This Story

Please read before republishing

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines. You must credit the Forward, retain our pixel and preserve our canonical link in Google search.  See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.

To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.

We don't support Internet Explorer

Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site.