It has now been 12 years since Coyote Ugly hit the cinema screens and although there have been rumours of a sequel, to this day there has never been an actual script.

With only a few dollars left in her pocket after her apartment is robbed, she goes to an all-night diner and notices three girls; Cammie played by Izabella Miko, actress Bridget Moynahan plays Rachel, and supermodel Tyra Banks as Zoe flaunting the hundreds of dollars in tips they earned.

After inquiring, she finds out that they work at a trendy bar named Coyote Ugly. She finds her way to the bar and convinces the bar owner Lil played by Maria Bello to hire her. Lil hires her and explains she did so because Violet looks like a kindergarten teacher and nicknames her "Jersey". After starting her job, she quickly discovers she must learn the ropes of singing, dancing, and performing wild acts before a rowdy crowd. One night when she's doing a rowdy move while having water poured on her, Violet's picture is taken, which appears in the newspaper. Violet's father Bill sees it and gets angry at her. She finally lands a deal with a record label after a successful performance at an open mic night at the Bowery Ballroom, which was attended by all of the "Coyotes" from the Coyote Ugly saloon, Bill, Gloria, and Kevin.

With an estimated budget of $45,000,000, the film took $17,319,282 in its opening US weekend and worldwide grossed $113,916,474. Film critics gave the movie mixed reviews. The LA Times said it was a shameless but very watchable piece of youthful romantic fantasy, and the New York Times said it looked like a big-budget version of a Miller's Genuine Draft commercial. Whereas efilmcritic.com said that film critics are often too harsh on movies like Coyote Ugly.

The film has a start, middle and end, and doesn’t really warrant a sequel, especially after the 12 year gap since the film was released. The original cast have moved on in their careers. Leading actress Piper Perabo has since appeared in several films such as Cheaper by the Dozen, Imagine Me and You, Because I Said So and the successful US Television show, Covert Affairs. Izabella Miko has continued to appear in films, but has yet to land a leading role in a Hollywood blockbuster, whereas Maria Bello who played the bar owner Lil in Coyote Ugly has appeared in several big budget films such as World Trade Center alongside Nicolas Cage, Assault on Precinct 13 with Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne, Grown Ups with Adam Sandler, Beautiful Boy with Michael Sheen, Abduction with Taylor Lautner and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Perhaps the most successful actress has been Bridget Moynahan, who played the barmaid, Rachel. Since Coyote Ugly, she has starred in several episodes of the hugely successful US television show Sex and the City, shared screen time with John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale and Jeremy Piven in the romantic comedy, Serendipity as well as appearing in the sci-fi blockbuster, I Robot with Will Smith, Lord of War with Nicolas Cage and in Gray Matters with Heather Graham.

A sequel will normally follow within a few years of the original film, although this is not always the case. A perfect example is the thriller, Basic Instinct starring Sharon Stone. The original was released in 1992 with a gap of 14 years before the sequel was made. The second instalment of crime writer and serial killer Catherine Tramell received disappointing reviews from the world’s media and highlighted the fact that the sequel should not have been made after such a long delay and without actor Michael Douglas. USA Today said the 1992 phenomenon was creepy, tense and sexually charged in a bold yet tawdry way, and that the sequel lacked even a shred of those elements.

There are two questions that a filmmaker needs to ask themselves before making a sequel. Will any of the main cast return and how can the plot be developed? In the case of Coyote Ugly, it is extremely doubtful that any of the original cast members would sign up to the sequel, and as a result would increase the risk of repeating the original storyline if a new cast was assembled. Coyote Ugly will never be considered as a classic, however, it was entertaining at times and helped to launch the acting careers of Piper Perabo, Izabella Miko and Bridget Moynahan.

Link: Coyote Ugly film locations