Tyra Banks Begs for a ‘Coyote Ugly’ Sequel—And She’s Taking Control!
Tyra Banks made a splash as bartender Zöe in the 2000 film Coyote Ugly. However, she may not be done portraying the foot-slamming, bar-dancing, drink-slinging dynamo just yet. After reuniting with co-stars Izabella Miko, Maria Bello, and Melanie Lynskey for a celebratory 25th-anniversary screening of the film to benefit the Global Empowerment Mission’s LA Wildfire Relief efforts, Banks is begging for a Coyote Ugly sequel, and she wants to take control.
Tyra Banks ‘dying’ to do ‘Coyote Ugly 2’
It’s been 25 years since Coyote Ugly made its film premiere. Movie fans still connect to the tale of fledgling songwriter Violet (Piper Perabo), who leaves her New Jersey home to try and make it in New York City and finds a new family of friends at a popular female-led dive bar.
Tyra Banks believes the story of the Coyotes, the women who work at the bar, isn’t over yet. She would love to see a sequel to the beloved film come to fruition.
“I’m dying to do Coyote Ugly 2,” Banks told People Magazine in 2018. “I want to produce it — I just need to get the rights from Mr. Jerry Bruckheimer or work with him.”
The former America’s Top Model host and creator previously told Kelly Clarkson in 2020 that she was currently in talks for a film sequel or a series.
The original 2000 film starred Banks, Perabo, Maria Bello, Adam Garcia, Melanie Lynskey, Blue Bloods‘ Bridget Moynahan, and The Conners‘ John Goodman.
Tyra Banks shares ideas for ‘Coyote Ugly’ sequel
During the film’s 25th anniversary reunion, Tyra Banks shared her ideas for a Coyote Ugly sequel to People Magazine. Her tongue-in-cheek idea sheds light on where Zöe is today.
“I think [Zöe] was a very successful lawyer,” Banks revealed. “But I think storytelling is good when there’s conflict. So she fell off a bar and got cut by an antler and was bleeding, and she came back and sued Lil (Maria Bello), got the bar, and turned it into the lawyer bar.”
Banks continued, “Get it — Passing the Bar. And so there’s lawyers dancing on the bar after a stressful day and losing a case. I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about right now, but that’s the sequel.”
If Banks does take the reins of a Coyote Ugly sequel, she certainly won’t have the same audition experience as the first movie. She told People that she danced to Prince’s “Kiss” in a huge hotel room for the film’s casting department to secure the role.
The casting department let the song play in its entirety. They later told Banks they enjoyed her audition so much, they “kept the music going.”
Is Coyote Ugly a real bar?
Coyote Ugly is a real bar located in New York City. Its original dive bar concept was created by Liliana Lovell.
The bar revolves around its charismatic female bartenders known as Coyotes, who serve drinks with attitude, dance on the bar, and boldly interact with customers. The bar is famous for its unapologetic vibe, complete with loud music, whiskey shots, and a party-hard mentality, as depicted in the film.
Writer Elizabeth Gilbert (who penned Eat, Pray, Love) worked as a bartender at the legendary female-led business. She was a coyote for several years and chronicled her experience in a March 1997 story for GQ.
Known for its rowdy atmosphere, high-energy bartenders dancing on the counters, and no-nonsense attitude, the original Coyote Ugly first opened in the East Village in 1993. After closing its Manhattan location in 2020 due to the pandemic, the famed watering reopened, bringing back the unapologetic, whiskey-fueled fun that made it a cultural phenomenon.
The bar currently has 13 locations across the United States. There are also six outposts in England, two in Wales, and one in Japan.
