Disney’s Buena Vista Pictures was behind “Encino Man,” which was produced for a modest $7 million in its day. The film made a very respectable $40 million at the box office and was a regular in rotation on cable. This was also at a time when home video was a big deal. All of this to say, Disney undoubtedly made a good deal of money on the film. So, why didn’t they ever make a direct sequel?
For one, the film was not met with kindness from critics in its day. Granted, money talks in Hollywood but critical reception can still be a factor when it comes to getting a sequel made. To that end, Disney went the “safe” route and produced a made-for-TV movie called “Encino Woman,” which aired in 1996. You’d be forgiven if you haven’t heard of it as it has largely been forgotten. The film was not well-liked and failed to garner a following like the original film did. That’s why a direct sequel is the key here, as a sequel did technically materialize, just not in the way fans of the original might have wanted.
It’s entirely possible that the poor reception to the TV follow-up killed any chance of an actual sequel getting made in its day. Not only that, but Fraser was then starring in big films like “George of the Jungle,” while Astin got cast in “Lord of the Rings,” which took years of his life. The cast got busy and the window closed. But everything old does eventually become new again.