So, you’re scrolling through a streaming service, you see the sequel to that ridiculous 2010 ski-resort comedy, and you think, "Wait, where’s the main guy?" It’s a valid question. When Hot Tub Time Machine 2 hit theaters back in 2015, the biggest elephant in the room wasn't the giant CGI squirrel or the questionable groin-related humor. It was the total absence of the first film's anchor. John Cusack, who basically carried the emotional weight of the original, was nowhere to be found in the theatrical cut.
Honestly, it felt weird. You had Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, and Clark Duke returning to their roles as the lovable (or at least tolerable) idiots, but the "straight man" was missing. Instead, we got Adam Scott playing Adam Jr., the future son of Cusack’s character. It was a clever enough pivot on paper, but for most fans, the John Cusack Hot Tub Time Machine 2 mystery became more interesting than the actual plot of the movie.
The Mystery of the Missing Lead
If you ask the internet why Cusack skipped the sequel, you’ll find a mountain of conflicting stories. For a long time, the narrative was that he simply "passed" on it. People assumed he was too busy with "serious" indie projects or just didn't want to get back in the tub. But here’s where it gets kinda messy: Cusack himself took to Twitter (now X) to set the record straight around the time of the release.
He didn't hold back.
Basically, when a fan asked why he wasn't in the film, Cusack replied that he wasn't even asked to return. "Keep saying - wasn't asked - not my choice," he wrote. That’s a pretty big bombshell. Imagine being the lead and producer of a cult hit and then finding out they’re making a sequel without even shooting you a text.
Why would they leave him out?
Budget usually tells the real story in Hollywood. The first Hot Tub Time Machine cost around $36 million to produce. It wasn't a massive blockbuster, but it found a huge second life on DVD and cable. When the studio greenlit the sequel, they slashed the budget significantly—down to about $14 million.
Cusack isn't cheap. By replacing him with Adam Scott—who is fantastic but at the time likely commanded a different salary tier—the production saved a massive chunk of change. Plus, the script by Josh Heald (who later went on to do Cobra Kai) leaned much harder into the "R-rated insanity" and less into the 80s nostalgia that Cusack’s character represented.
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That Secret "Unrated" Cameo You Probably Missed
Here is the part most people get wrong: John Cusack is technically in Hot Tub Time Machine 2. Well, sort of.
If you only watched the version that played in theaters, you saw zero Cusack. But if you tracked down the "Hotter and Wetter Unrated Cut," there’s a wild, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo at the very end.
In this alternate ending, a portal opens up and out steps the original Adam (Cusack). He’s wearing his signature black trench coat and holding a shotgun. Without a word, he blows Lou’s (Rob Corddry) head off. He then looks at the camera, says he’ll explain later, and disappears back through the portal.
Why was it cut?
Director Steve Pink later explained on The Q&A Podcast that they actually filmed this sequence as a way to bridge the gap. So, why did it end up on the cutting room floor?
- Test screenings: Apparently, audiences found it confusing. They wanted more Cusack, and having him show up for 30 seconds just to commit a murder felt like a tease that didn't pay off.
- Tonal whiplash: The sequel was already pretty dark, and ending it with the "hero" of the first movie killing his best friend was a bit much, even for this franchise.
- The "Thor" Factor: Steve Pink once compared the characters to the Avengers, saying Adam was like the "Thor" of the group—a cosmic character who exists elsewhere in the timeline. They thought hinting at him was enough. It wasn't.
The Aftermath: Did the Sequel Sink or Swim?
To put it bluntly, it sank. Hot Tub Time Machine 2 grossed only about $13 million globally. It didn't even make back its production budget, let alone the marketing costs. Critics were pretty brutal, too. Most felt that without the grounding presence of a "normal" character like Cusack’s Adam, the movie devolved into a series of increasingly gross-out gags without any heart.
The chemistry was off. While Adam Scott is a comedy legend in his own right, his character was written as a "prissy" foil rather than the weary, relatable soul that Cusack played. It turned the dynamic from "four friends against the world" into "three jerks bullying a stranger."
What we learned from the fallout
- Don't skip the lead: Unless you're doing a total reboot, losing the central protagonist usually signals to the audience that the sequel is "lesser than."
- Twitter is the real PR: Cusack's public admission that he wasn't invited created a weird vibe before the movie even opened. It made the production look a bit cheap and disorganized.
- The "Cincinatti" Mystery: Fans are still annoyed that the sequel never really explained the "Cincinnati" incident mentioned in the first film, which Cusack was supposed to be a key part of.
Actionable Takeaways for the Curious Fan
If you're a die-hard fan of the first film and you've been avoiding the sequel because of the John Cusack drama, here is how to actually enjoy what’s left of the franchise.
Watch the Unrated Cut Only
Seriously, don't bother with the theatrical version. The unrated cut includes the Cusack cameo and about six extra minutes of footage that actually makes the time-travel logic (if you can call it that) slightly more coherent. It’s still a mess, but it’s a more complete mess.
Treat it as a Spin-off
If you go in expecting a direct continuation of Adam's story, you'll be disappointed. Think of it as "The Lou and Nick Show." Rob Corddry and Craig Robinson have great chemistry, and if you lower your expectations for "plot" and "heart," there are some genuine laughs in the future-tech parodies.
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Follow the Creators, Not the IP
If you loved the vibe of the first movie, look into Cobra Kai. Josh Heald brought that same 80s-reverence and sharp dialogue to the Karate Kid universe, and it worked much better there than it did in the hot tub sequel.
Ultimately, the John Cusack Hot Tub Time Machine 2 situation is a classic Hollywood cautionary tale. It’s what happens when budget cuts and creative shifts alienate the very people who made the original a hit. We might never get a third movie to fix the timeline, but at least we have that weird, violent 30-second cameo to remind us what could have been.