AceShowbiz -

"The Hangover" is still months away from its theatrical release, but a sequel for the comedy movie is already in the pipeline. Variety reported that Warner Bros. Pictures are pushing the follow-up movie forward as the studio sign what is described to be a multimillion dollar commitment with director Todd Phillips.

The Academy Award-nominated writer is appointed by the studio to pen the sequel along with Scot Armstrong. Phillips, whose works also include "Old School", "Starsky & Hutch" and "School for Scoundrels", will also return to direct and produce the sequel through his Green Hat Films banner.

Aside from making deal with the filmmaker, Warner Bros. are said to have made deals with some of the original stars, Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms, for their return in the sequel, which production is expected to start in late 2009. The production company reportedly decide to move on with the sequel after the movie has tested strongly, and its trailer brought down the house at 2009 ShoWest.

Coming out in U.S. theaters on June 5, "The Hangover" centers on Doug's three groomsmen. After a night of wild bachelor party they set for Doug, the three friends wake up with no memory of what has happened. All they know now, there is a tiger in the bathroom, a six-month-old baby in the closet of their suite, and Doug is gone without a trace. With little time to spare, they now have to trace back their hazy memory to figure out what went wrong and find Doug in time for him to walk down the aisle.