Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo originated from a simple premise. Writer and star Rob Schneider thought it would be funny to do a story about a guy who house-sits for a gigolo. The 2001 release was a resounding success, grossing almost $100 million worldwide.
While Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo starts where Male Gigolo left off, its premise is far more complex - as was the task of convincing the star to make the movie. As Schneider tells it, "I never really thought about doing a sequel. But people really liked the character and I just kept hearing it for so long that I thought, 'Well, you know what? It might be fun.' Then, I started flirting with the idea that maybe we should revisit these characters. It would be great to be able to write for Eddie Griffin as TJ. And there's something to be said about the 'everyman' - or in this case, the 'slightly-less-than-everyman.' People can relate to the character of Deuce, I think."
With the seed planted, the new project began to blossom when Schneider began thinking about that other classic gigolo film, Paul Schrader's American Gigolo. "It was ridiculous," Schneider laughs. "I mean, like Lauren Hutton, supermodel, needs to hire a gigolo? So I thought, 'Who are the real women that need gigolos?' And that's how it started."
Along with writers David Garrett and Jason Ward, Schneider toiled away at the script for almost a year. The story was fleshed out to include two major new elements – the European continent and the 'The International Man-Whore "Wouldn't it be great if there was a whole bunch of other gigolos that Deuce had to compete with?," Schneider posits. The writers then asked themselves where this secret Society might be based. "The best gigolos in the world -- this Society of Man-Wores? Why in Amsterdam, of course."
Schneider didn't want to forget the original Deuce audience, but also wanted to include newcomers in his further adventures. "I didn't approach this as a sequel," he says. "If you never saw the first movie, you won't miss a step in this one."
Moving the story to Europe had other advantages, he says. "Deuce has never been there before. So, he's really like a fish out of water and I think the audience is able to see through Deuce's eyes how he's taking everything in."
Before long, the writers had developed a layered story revolving around a string of murders and a glimpse into the secret inner sanctum of the sacred and ancient "International Man-Wore Society." "And pretty soon the whole idea was funnier than the first movie," according to Schneider. "I didn't want to just make a movie that was similar to the first one. I wanted it to be an entirely different experience. To me, this one is like Ben Hur compared to the first one."
And like Ben Hur, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo boasts a cast of thousands. Back in the role of TJ is Eddie Griffin. TJ is now living and pimping in Amsterdam, with his base of operation situated on a canal aboard a decidedly purple houseboat aptly christened Pimp Of Da Sea. "I don't think there's anybody better than Eddie Griffin honestly. I really think he's just got it," says Schneider.
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